Back to School Reality for Moms

It was the day after Labor Day- back to school for most children. This year was different for me because my youngest son started school too. I had three sons in five years and although I had started a direct sales business the previous year, I still considered myself a stay at home mom. I really enjoyed my time with my children.

I had been pregnant or nursing for about seven of those years. I was a La Leche League Leader ( a breastfeeding support organization) and I started several playgroups and a babysitting co-op. My days were busy and fulfilled, but now that my children were all in school, I wondered what that would mean for my business life.  I really loved my Mary Kay business! Making women look good and feel good about themselves came so natural to me. After all, I was previously a Cosmetology teacher. The beauty industry was always so appealing to me.

Then the reality hit me.- the costs involved with three school age children and their activities. That first week of school so many papers come home asking to sign up for cub scouts, swim lessons, music lessons, soccer, field trips- the list goes on and on! My boys wanted to try it all. My desire was for them to experience as much as possible to find out what they liked and had talent in before they quit. We really needed more income if they could be given those opportunities.

Even though I had always agreed that I would go back to work when my children were in school ,the thought of doing that depressed me. I wanted to be there when they arrived home from school. I wanted to be the homeroom mother and go on the field trips. I wasn’t ready to give up summers at the pool with them everyday either. I actually went as far as looking for jobs the first three weeks of September that year. My “perfect job” didn’t exist for me then and it doesn’t exist for you now.

I felt that I owed it to my family to at least give an honest effort to my business before settling for something less. September 25 I made a decision. I would build my team and become a Sales Director and earn a free car that school year.  You see when passion and reason is behind a goal it ignites the flame that builds an out of control fire of desire! I only had two team members that day. I can remember how frightened I was to even verbalize that goal. But I put together a plan of action and started to work that day.  By the end of that month I had finished my first month of car qualification with five total team members. Christmas came early for me that year as I earned the use of my first career car! (I now have earned 10 of them!) March of the following year I debuted as a Sales Director and by the end of the school year I had earned my first Pink Car- a trophy on wheels as my unit of beauty consultants reached close to 50 in size! That was 1988. Here I am 20 years later with so much to share with you from my journey.

If you can relate to anything in this story, I’d like to help. Let me show you the way to finding passion and purpose in your life. I’d love to pass it on to you!

For Career information you can call my business information line-( a 17 minute recorded message of me telling you all about it!)

  click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPERATION SOLDIER CARE ENDED AUGUST 18- YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE!

I am writing this post today to let people know that there are still American patriots out there. Trish Forant of eMail Our Military is one of the. I met Trish this year on twitter (I am @nancymk and she is @mailourmilitary) My husband is a retired USArmy officer who works full time with me in my business. Since summer is usually a little bit slower for us with vacations and all, we wanted to do something to send some comfort items to the troops. We had already been doing that on a much smaller scale and wanted to do more. Most of our friends and family are safely back in the states at this time. So I agreed to match every care package with another one, increasing the value of each donation ( and eliminating profit or self promotion for me) Trish and I agreed that August 18 would be the latest that we could get these items to the troops in a time when they still needed them the most. We started with a small goal of $550. When we reached that within the first week, I boldly announced that I was prepared to match up to $5000 in care packages for the troops. So a new goal was set!
In the process of promoting this, some incredible things happened. YESTERDAY EMAIL OUR MILITARY WAS NAMED BLOG OF THE DAY!
When I was asked by Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller) to do a guest post on her blog about Operation Soldier care, she became involved in our project. She came up with the idea of donating prizes for the top 5 contributors. Phyllis got the ball rolling by generously donating 5 autographed copies of her latest book.
MRS LIETENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL. Trish and I followed with small prizes, but other businesses got excited and started adding value to being one of the top 5 contributors! We now have 15 different prizes worth over $1000 each for the top five contributors. They are so excited that we were able to give back to them for helping us in this project!
Because of your generosity we sent over $6000 in comfort products to the troops in the desert. I matched every donation with an equal gift to maximize your dollars. They received sun protection products, after sun care, hydation products for men and women! Thanks to all the patriots who are making a difference.

Are you a Mom Who Works at Home (or Would like to?)

Yesterday my desktop computer froze and shut down, leaving me with unfinished posts, documents and data that I couldn’t  access. As I started to feel frustrated, I stopped, took a deep breath, looked around and started to count my blessings. I am healthy, have a loving husband, a wonderful family and have been working at home for over 20 years. I never have to fight commuter traffic or worry about day care pick up times (and never had).

It occurred to me that there are many women who would love the opportunity to spend more time with their family, follow their passion and have a home business. Some may have already found a Direct Sales Company and are just getting started. Others are just dreaming about it.

  I am looking to connect with you using social media.

You can follow me on twitter- http://twitter.com/nancymk

or FACEBOOK- http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=580351711

I have made the most incredible new friends and powerful business partners using social media and I would love to meet you if I can add value to your life and help you market your home business. What do you think?

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Military Deployments

With just one week to go in Operation Soldier Care, and all the buzz on the internet about it, I thought some quick education on what it is like for the average soldier in Iraq or Afghanastan was in order. My husband Alex is a retired US Army officer so I have first hand information on “a day in the life” of our troops. Here are the top five things that most people don’t know-
1. Mail call is the highlight of the day for every soldier in the field.
The importance of that connection at home can not be understated. Sending cards, letters, care packages means more than you will ever know to our heros overseas. (not all soldiers have access to email)
2.The climate is harsh and unpleasant.
The average temperatures in Iraq range from higher than 48 degree C (120 degrees Fahrenheit!) in July and August to below freezing in January. A majority of the rainfall occurs from December through April and is more abundant in the mountainous region and may reach 100 centimeters a year in some places
The summer months are marked by two kinds of wind phenomena: The southern and southeasterly sharqi, a dry, dusty wind with occasional gusts to eighty kilometers and hour, occurs from April to early June and again from late September through November. The shamal, a steady wind from the north and northwest, prevails from mid-June to mid-September. Very dry air which accompanies the shamal permits intensive sun heating of the land surface but also provides some cooling effect. Dust storms accompany these winds and may rise to heights of several thousand meters, causing hazardous flying conditions and closing airports for brief periods of time.
Extremes of temperatures and humidity, coupled with the scarcity of water, will effect both men and equipment. During dry season, clouds of dust caused by vehicle movement will increase detection capabilities in desert regions. Flash flooding in wadis and across roads will hinder traffic ability and supply efforts during the rainy season. Clear, cloudless skies make air superiority a prerequisite to successful offensive operations throughout Iraq. Air operations may be reduced during windy season. The Iraqi climate is similar to that of the extreme southwestern United States with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a pleasant spring and fall. Roughly 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between November and April, most of it in the winter months from December through March. The remaining six months, particularly the hottest ones of June, July, and August, at approximately 102 degrees F are dry. The influence of the Persian Gulf on the climate of Iraq is very limited. Near the gulf the relative humidity is higher than in other parts of the country.
3. Personal hygene and comfort items are in limited supply and not affordable for many soldiers. Imagine that you are camping in the desert. What would you take with you? Those items that you use every day are not in the backpack of the average soldier overseas.
4.Many soldiers are having back to back deployments. Even reservists are frequently called up for several tours in a row, taking them away from their civilian jobs and families. (although employers are required to keep a position open while a soldier is deployed, career advancement is often jeopardized by time away from the job.
5. Every day is like “Groundhog Day“. If you have ever seen that movie where the main charactor keeps waking up to the same day, that is what it is like for many soldiers. The only difference is that each day is one day closer to their trip home.

I teamed up with Email Our Military for the Operation Soldier Care campaign to provide comfort items to our troops. I am matching dollar for dollar each donation to have maximum impact on the number of care packages that we send for the troops. You can make a difference. Either pitch in any dollar amount or order directly on my web page and put Operation Soldier Care in the comments section. Your gift will then be sent directly to the soldiers in the field.
http://www.utterz.com/u/utt/u-NTEyMTc2OA#NTEyMTc2OA

Is Internet Marketing Replacing or Enhancing Face to Face Marketing?

This seems to be a highly debated topic right now so I wanted to jump in and provide a visual that may allow you to decide for yourself. Yesterday, I met with a client of mine and did a face to face makeover using our new mineral products. We took before and after photos for my portfolio.  Here is Marie’s photo BEFORE

Marie's before photo

There is a new feature on my web page that allows you to upload your own “before” photo and then try different colors and even hairstyles! We decided to have a little fun with it. We uploaded Marie’s before shot  and then we proceeded to select the same colors that I selected for her to see what it would look like. But we took it a step farther in selecting her a new hairstyle and hair color.  Below is her “after photo”-

Marie's actual face to face "after photo"

I believe that the tools for using the “Virtual Makeover” are fantastic! It can be used for clients that live out of my geographic area, or even for someone who never purchased from me or intends to. The service is free and available to everyone. You get to save your makeover and go back as often as you like and try new things. (I DO NOT GET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR NAME WHEN YOU DO THIS)  In my opinion, it enhances face to face marketing. I am still the beauty expert who will suggest colors to try. That is the reason why I do not think that internet marketing can replace that relationship that you build in an actual face to face situation. What do you think? Feel free to comment or experiment with the virtual makeover yourself at my website.

Secrets to Discovering Your “Why”

Many people don’t take the time to discover what is important to them, as a result they go through life without a compass or a map to their destination (that is also unknown for a few) Regardless of where you are or what you are striving to achieve, the most important first step is to discover your purpose. What makes you cry, what brings you joy “why”?  Success is the sum total of choices that you make each day. Those choices are made either consciously or subconsiously. By leaning what your values are, a life of fulfillment rather than frustration is possible. Let’s start by determining your CORE VALUES.  This list is not everything, but some values that are thought provoking and may lead  you farther in your journey. Select the top six in importance for you and write it down.

• Legacy- making a differnce today with tomorrow in mind
• Faith/Religion- belief in a Higher power
• Family- spending both quality and chosen quantity of time with them
• Achievement- aspiring to achieve excellence
• Integrity- who you are no matter where you are or who you are with
• Growth- investing time in education and personal growth
• Change- embracing change, looking for continuous improvement, doing things better
• Recognition- giving and receiving acknowledgement for a job well don
• Loyalty- being faithful to a person, ideal, cause , duty or custom
• Honesy- beiing sincere and truthful no matter where you are
• Quality- a standard of excellence\
• Committment- dedication to a course of action or a relationship
• Passion- boundless enthusiasm and excitement
• Perfection- Striving for the highest attainable standard, attention to details
• Fitness- physical and emotional health through intentional training
• Status- holding a prestigious position or title
• Courage- willing to take calculated risks outside of your comfort zone
• Fun-ability to laugh, playfulness, joking
• Balance-finding a way to fit it all in based on your priorities
• Money/Wealth- an abundance of material things
• Creativity- the ability to try new ways to accomplish things; think outside the box
• Service- serving others without material gain in mind
• Urgency- action oriented, the ability to prioritize and move quickly
• Trust- to rely on the integrity or character of a person or thing
• Accountable- willing to take responsability for actions and outcomes
• Competence- to possess knowledge and ability to perform
• Fairness- treat everyone equally
• Independence- freedom from control or influence of others.
• Structure- formal systems in place
• Efficiency- minimizing waste of time and resources
• Effectiveness- precision execution of a plan to produce planned results
• Simplicity- lack of complication

Take some time to explore your own desires and passions. I will be taking you to the next step with my next blog. Sign up to be notified if you want to learn more.

Goal Setting Secrets to Success!

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For those of us in Mary Kay we are approaching the finish line. Our Seminar year ends June 30 and all of our yearly recognition is calculated by what happens in that timeframe. This is where the winners give it their all. This is where records are broken and belief barriers are shattered. It’s my favorite time of year

It occured to my that some of the things that I am about to share are applicable to anyone in business, not just Mary Kay. You can’t hit a target that isn’t there. So no matter what you are doing, it starts with a clear picture of what it is that you are reaching for. So if you are not on-target for any big goals or never even had the courage to set one, now is the time to do it. Reach deep inside and ask yourself- “if I knew that I couldn’t fail, what is it that I want?”. Take some time to really meditate on this. Don’t allow your logic or fear to influence that answer. Once you have a picture of what it is, it must be crystal clear to you. Start to visualize how you will see and feel whenever you are in that place. For me, the year that I set a goal to be Queen of Sales (2005) I found other people who had already done it. I borrowed their video (dvd) and I watched it every day, seeing myself on stage, seeing my family there cheering me on, seeing me sitting on the throne. It was like a rehersal in my mind. I even borrowed a friend’s tiara and put on the dress that I planned to wear and took a picture of me wearing the dress and the tiara. (side story here- when you do this, watch what you eat! As I got closer to finishing this goal the dress was too tight. I couldn’t focus on losing weight and finishing this goal. I couldn’t find another gold sequins gown because this was the one in my mind. So my husband ended up taking out the dress on the side where the sash was and carried a needle and thead that night in case I popped out of the dress!!!)

So those of you who are finishing your goals for this year, keep going, keep reaching! Your best work is done in the final hours. Don’t give up. Don’t sell yourself short. Take each day and make sure that every choice that you make is one that is taking you closer to that goal Have the discipline to do what has to be done, not what you feel like doing.

If you haven’t found your goals or dreams yet what are you waiting for. Are you designing your life to be what you want it to be? You can, you know. Find out what brings you joy and use that as a reason. The law of attraction works, but you have to be willing to work also. I have found that the harder I work, the luckier I get!!! Make you own luck!! I WILL SEE YOU AT THE TOP!Here is another great post on goal setting!</A

Testimonial from Top Consultant & Stay at Home Mom of Special Needs Child

Ellen says:”I am so incredibly privileged to have Nancy Sutherland as my Independent Mary Kay Sales Director! After 2 + years as a personal use Consultant, I called Nancy and told her that with a sudden dramatic change in my home situation, I needed to build my MK business.  Nancy has patiently, fervently and tirelessly coached me to excellence. While Mary Kay Ash built our wonderful Company on the Golden Rule, I can truly say that I am especially blessed by having Nancy as my Director.  Besides leading by example, Nancy has never ever once coached me to do something in my business that was self-serving to her.  I am so so thankful that I know fully that Nancy will never recommend anything to me that is not entirely in my best interest.  I can count on her to carry on her own business and our Sutherland Superstars the way Mary Kay Ash taught: serve others and treat people the way you would want to be treated.  I appreciate Nancy’s steadfastness, reliability, honesty and integrity.  I count Nancy and Alex as dear, dear friends.  God has used them intensely in my life to encourage, even when I saw nothing in myself to be encouraged about.  Nancy and Alex have been my finest cheerleaders.  I am richly blessed by knowing them and calling them my friends and colleagues.

 

Ellen M. Saporito

Independent Beauty Consultant

2007 First Runner up- Beauty Consultant Queen of Personal Sales

Learn the secrets of looking and feeling like a Queen. I can also lead you on your own personal journey to be Queen of Sales! I capture reflections. What does yours look like?

Principles in Goal-Setting

1. Visualize your goal

2. Belief

3. Define your goals

4. Break your goal into workable steps

5. Set a time limit on attaining your goal

6. Write your goal down

7. Verbally share your goals with others

8. Develop a plan of action

9. Approach your goal with positive expectancy

10. Develop self-motivation and self-discipline

Remember, no big accomplishment happens all at once. Life itself is a series of individual incidents and projects. To go through life successfully means setting and achieving goals – one after the other – each a little better than the former. Always strive to do “better than your best” and I will celebrate you as the “star” that you are . . . at the top!

Bridal Services

Today I met with a bridal party, doing one of the things that I enjoy most about my business! These are before and after pictures that were taken at their Bridal Party Color Preview event. Don’t they look stunning?
Imagine: It is your day! It is going to be perfect, you have waited your whole life for this day.
It is your wedding day!
It is all about the Bride, it is her day, she is happy and gorgeous her skin is flawless and her face is glowing! Her bridesmaids are lined up and are creating the frame. She stands out she shines and she is pristinely happy.
Who do you know who is recently engaged? I would love to help make her day a cherished memory forever! I will complement her dress, the photography, the veil, and setting. I will help the bride create the look that she desires for herself and her wedding party. I help set the mood, just as much as the flowers, the lighting and the music.
When a bride looks and feels beautiful with her groom at her side, the day is going to be amazing. (To see these Looks in more detail visit my Virtual Model Portfolio in the photo section of my profile on FACEBOOK)