A pause in your business can mean a future struggle

Many of you may have noticed that there hasn't been a StunGunGirl blog post in quite a while.  Many of you also know that a few months ago, life was moving along at the perfect pace when I was given a cancer diagnosis.  My seemingly perfect little universe was turned up-side-down, in-side-out, and kicked across the cosmos.

Even still, through the process of wrapping my brain around the C word that was living in my body, learning treatment options, deciding to go with surgery, and then the hardship of healing, my long term goals never wavered.  I thought for sure that when I was well, I would just pick up where I left off and continue the climb to the top with only maybe a minor hiccup.

Boy was I wrong.

As I sat down in front of my computer and opened my CRM software (I love fiitfu.com the most), it overwhelmed me.  I had 196 overdue followups.  I suddenly realized that I was so behind I might never catch up.  When I started working through those followups, I also realized that none of my contact's lives stopped, and it was like starting all over again with at least 180 of them.

That was just the foothills of Mt. Overwhelming.

All the while, I didn't want to appear that things weren't okay, so I appeared as if business was normal on the outside saying things like, "I'm so blessed to have a job that I can take time off for to beat this cancer," because I didn't want to scare anyone away from joining my company.

Really, taking months off to fight a beast like cancer already takes a mental and physical toll on you.  I wish I would have known the reality of taking that time off and what it would be like to come back to work after so much time passed.  I think I could have been better prepared for what was to come.  I'm here to tell you, you don't pick up where you left off, you start about 500 steps behind, and that's okay.

When you expect to come back to the exact point you left off, it doesn't feel okay.  Luckily, I learned something really important along the way, and even though I felt like I was treading water in my last hour of strength in the open waters of the deep blue sea, I reached out.  When you're feeling down, call up.  I wasn't just feeling down, I was feeling defeated.  My fire was gone and I was questioning whether or not I could succeed.

I am here to tell you, that after some hours on the phone with some amazing ladies who not only let me fall apart, but then picked up my pieces and handed them back to me while reminding me who I am, what my destiny is, that there is no future without me in it (especially for me), and told me to put those damned pieces back together, I am ready.  The fire has been lit, the passion has reignited, and even though I'm not starting where I thought I would, I'm getting started where I am.


How do you eat an elephant?  Invite your friends!  When you're feeling down, call up, and when you're feeling up, call down.  You never know which one of your team members might be floating in open water alone and not saying anything.


Have a blessed day!

What the heck happened to my business plan?

I am the first one to tell people that in order to make God laugh, all you need to do is tell him your plans.  It's all fun and games until it's my plan that gets smashed to pieces.

I had a bullet proof business plan.  For two months I have been busting my tail to attain it, taking trainings, putting processes into place, and making sure to reach out to 5 new contacts every day.  My calendar was FILLED, I was all signed up for our Destination Diamond program, and I was going to be a director by October.

That was my plan.  The math was there, the formula was working, and my team had a record breaking month in August.  Not to mention, Damsel in Defense released the September special.....$99 to join?  Holy canoli!!!! I jumped right into the month with gazelle intensity that would have made Dave Ramsey blush!

At the same time, I was undergoing a series of tests because my body was a little out of whack.  Okay, by a little out of whack, I mean if I was a golf ball getting whacked by Happy Gilmore, that would be the out of whack my body was being.

Still, a little thyroid medication here, a month of water pills there, some blood work, and some invasive tests were NOT going to stop my road to director.

Then, one beautiful morning, I got the call.  It was my doctor's assistant telling me that my doctor wanted me to come in right away to discuss some test results.

My heart stopped.  "Can you just tell me over the phone?" I asked.  No.  No, she couldn't.  My doctor will only go over these results in person.

Well that's it, isn't it.  I'm dying.

Through a series of miracles and child care clients who are more like family than clients, parents showed up out of the woodwork to get their kiddos so that my husband could go be with me to hear my sentence.

The doctor's office was somber.  Everyone spoke to me in a lower and more careful tone.  I was checked in, and sitting in a room full of future mommies waiting to see their babies on ultrasound or to find out how they were progressing.  I was waiting to find out what the rest of my life was going to look like.  It was like driving through darkness with no headlights.

Finally, we were called back.  Uncomfortably, we shared very few words as we waited for the doctor.  An eternity passed, and every movement I made was emphasized by the deafening sound of the paper underneath me.   My heart pounded in my chest, and I struggled not to run away.

Then she came in and told me the news.  I had cancer, however there was a good chance she got it all.

Wait....
what?...
I have what?...
Did you say......?

She kept talking, but I am sure I stuck my head under water, because that's what it sounded like...distorted echoes of her voice answering my husband's questions.

There was no prognosis, just a referral to an oncologist....an.....oncologist.....

My oncologist.  The one who would be treating my cancer.

There's that word again.

Wait, I don't have cancer.  Didn't she say she got it all?  Why do I need an oncologist?

The next week was a mixture of hyperventilating, crying, numbness, and not knowing what to say when people had questions.

What stage is it?
What is the prognosis?
What do you need?

I need this to go AWAY because I have a BUSINESS to run!!!!

Next I met with my oncologist, who told me again that I had cancer, and I would be having surgery that will knock me out for 6-12 weeks.

What?

Director is slipping from my fingertips again.......

Then it hit me...oh yeah, my plan isn't always the plan I get to have.

Sometimes you have to put yourself in check and remember that you're not in control.

Has it slowed my business?

Yes.

I have been taking more time with my babies, snuggling my husband, taking care of myself, and preparing for the long winter ahead.  Am I still working?  Heck yes, but my balance has changed.  Director will be there when it's time to be there.  Until then, I'm going to be focusing on the things I can control.

My prognosis is good.  I will be having a radical hysterectomy with a small possibility of radiation.

Cloudy with a chance of radioactive meatballs.....

I am staying positive.  I have come to terms with the phrase, "I have cancer".  I can say it without crying my face off.  I can say that I need prayers, encouragement, and support.

My business plan will be modified, and I will take the time I need to heal, but I'm not going to give up or let this stop me from my goals.  That is the beauty of a business like Damsel in Defense, you can work it around your needs instead of having to work around a boss and an unreal work schedule.  I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for the flexibility of this business.

I will say one thing.  I would be lost in my business if I didn't have a business plan in place.  I may be modifying it, but I still have clear goals and actions in place.

Today I have decided that it's not my business plan.  It's God's business plan, and I'm going to work with what he gives me.

Let's talk about our direct sales friends

Hi blog family, I hope this post finds you well today.

Two things have been bothering me for about a week now, and that usually means I need to sit down and write about it.  What could they be?  They both boil down to how we treat our friends in other direct sales companies.

This particular blog post was brought on by a complaint that was posted publicly on Facebook by a girl we'll call Suzie Q.  You see, Suzie Q was feeling jealous last week because one of her friends signed on with a different direct sales company than she was in.

The first bothersome moment was a complaint post went something like this:

"I just don't understand why someone would join another company when they have seen how much I have made with my company."

While it is okay to wonder about the answer to that question, it's only okay to do it alone, and in your head.  I feel like this is obvious, but let's be honest, Captain Obvious wouldn't be a character in a major media campaign if there weren't enough people who lacked the ability to know when something is obvious, and this isn't the first time I've seen someone post something similar.

The second thing is a constant bother.

I am a cheerleader.  I don't care what direct sales company you're in, or even if it isn't a direct sales company at all, I love cheering people on, even if it's hard.  I have a rule of thumb that I live by.  That rule is, if you're feeling jealous or upset at someone, that is when you need to force yourself to cheer them on.  I hardly ever have to force myself because of those reasons, but sometimes I do find myself having a Facebook like fest, and I have to stop and actually slow down and comment.

I want my time on Facebook to be actually building relationships and caring about what the people I have accepted in my life are doing, whether they are struggling or succeeding.

Here's the bother, and I know some people do this out of excitement for their own businesses, but when I comment on another direct seller's post and five minutes later I get this message:

"Hey, I saw that you liked my post about promoting to yadda yadda.  If you join my team, you can yadda yadda too."

Hmmmmm.......does anyone else see the problem with that?

I chalk it up to people not knowing because maybe it is their first rodeo or something, and I'm always gracious about declining, but then I stay on their "lead" list and get the algorithm of contacts.  Once a week for a month, then once every two weeks for two months, then once a month until they either give up or I tell them for the ten thousandth time,

"Thank you, but I'm focusing on my Damsel business.  I wish you nothing but success in [enter business here]"

So, here's a golden nugget of direct sales advice, and I promise you, it will grow your business ten thousand times more strong than head hunting your direct sales friends.

Are you ready?

Here it is:

Don't head hunt your other direct sales friends. Invest in the relationship instead.

Whaaaaaaaat?

Yes.  Let me set up a scenario:

I have a friend who sells a makeup line.  Let's call her Sally.  Sally is growing her business and jumping up the ranks, and is posting about how she gets to go on this amazing all expense paid trip to somewhere with palm trees and umbrella drinks that you need a passport to go to.

I congratulate her or tell her how awesome she is on every photo she posts, because I genuinely love seeing people succeed.

Sally knows that I'm not trying to join her team, because she's also blessed me with gushes of congratulations on every achievement I make too, because she genuinely cares about people doing what they love and loving what they do.

She has never once, in more than a year of knowing her, asked me to join her team.

Instead, she has sent people to me by saying,

"Girl, I know this amazing Damsel, she will hook you up!  Just tell her I sent you!"  

Why?  Because she knows that safety is important, and I have invested in a relationship with her.

At the same time, whenever someone asks what makeup to try or if I have a friend selling her specific line, what do you think I say?

"Girl, I know this amazing makeup girl!  She will hook you up!  Just tell her I sent you!"

I know she will take excellent care of my referral, and I know she will send referrals my way.

Some of those people just buy, some join her team, some join mine, but the point is, we have each other's backs.

As a matter of fact, I have a referral program that is a win-win for everyone.  If a person refers someone to me and they join my team,

I pay the person who referred them $25 if my new team member reaches their first promotion within 60 days, which is a cake walk.  

That's twenty five smakeroos just for realizing someone would benefit from owning their own Damsel in Defense company.  

On the same hand, if I don't feel like someone will soar with Damsel but I know they would probably be amazing at another direct sales company, I connect them with a mentor from that company that I have a relationship with.

Think about it, do you want someone to join your team who isn't passionate about what you do?  It won't work!  If I have a person looking to join a direct sales team who just isn't feeling Damsel but LOVES makeup, where do you think they are going to succeed?

I'll tell you one thing, I definitely would support them in their choice rather than shame them for not choosing me.

So, there it is.  Two things, off my chest and out in the universe.  I hope it helps you in your business practices, and remember, there are two kinds of people.  You're either a fountain or a siphon.  Which one are you today?

Have a blessed day,

Summer Safety, What is dry drowning?

Safety is my business, and it doesn't always have to do with stun guns and pepper spray.  Sometimes, it's educating my peeps about something they might not be aware of.  I wrote this yesterday for Examiner, and I wanted to share it with all of you, because YOU are my peeps.

WHAT IS DRY DROWNING?

Be adventurous and stay safe!!

XOXO

The Stun Gun Girl

I'm trapped on Twitter, can you find me?

Maybe it was a tweet, or a flitter, but I'm trapped on Twitter!

The only way to make my way out is to get on here and give you a shout.

When you find me there hit the follow and share

Then help me get the heck out of there!

I have too much to do to be stuck in a bird.

Chirping and pecking without even a word.

So stop what you're doing and give me a post,

Because it's my fans who I love the most.



See you there!!!

XOXO
The Stun Gun Girl

Happy Friday Eve!!! Are you following my Instagram?

I realized today that my social media is well linked, but I have officially never invited you to my Instagram, where many of the shenanigans I call life are documented on a daily basis.  Friends, I am sorry to leave ya hangin, but guess what?  Today is a new day, and here is the link to my Instagram.

As you can see from the zombie in my back seat, when I say shenanigans, I mean shenanigans.

Give me a follow and a shout out to let me know.  I hope your week has been amazing, and that your Friday Eve is nothing short of astounding.  Isn't that a great word?  Astounding.....I want everything to be astounding.

XOXO
The Stun Gun Girl

Grow a business with integrity

I was talking with a friend about the amazing boot camp the Damsel in Defense has been offering the last 5 weeks, and I mentioned that I'm sure we're coming up on the week we have to recruit someone or be out.  He said, "why don't you just pay for someone's kit and sell the products?"

No way! I am growing an honest business with integrity and character I can be proud of. I could never feel like a real Damsel if I bought my way through! I would never let this business grow through false pretenses. Every rank I earn, every commission I make, and every product I sell will be with the same integrity our Co-founders set fourth when they formed this company. You can't be proud of what you've grown if it's dishonest and greedy.

If character is who you are when no one is watching, then my character wouldn't allow such business practices. I have already faced adversity set in motion by others who made choices to grow their businesses with those kinds of ethics. I've had more than my share of people demanding I reimburse them for Damsel products someone else sold them at nearly double the retail sales price.  I have faced clients who don't want to talk to a Damsel because of how they were treated by another Damsel. I will not do anything to send those kinds of ripples into the world.

I am proud of what I have built, and my team is made up of genuine humans who honestly wanted to invest in a business for themselves, and that is how they will grow their own teams.  I teach them to grow through the same values and integrity.

  

I can't wait for the next boot camp challenge, and I will take it on with integrity whether I move on or not, and I will be cheering my team on the whole way.

If you're ready to grow an honest business, let's talk. You can find more information at yourdamseldiva.com