The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me!

Hello. Candle update time!

Well, I didn’t bonus in March, but I did get over $1100 in sales which still keeps me active and out there. All good. I have decided that I will bonus in April – offering 30% product credit will make it really easy to pick up 2 more shows. I have only 4 shows scheduled right now, but this weekend I’ll put in a little effort to get 2 more. I’ll also reconfirm the shows I’ve got and coach the hostess to make them big ones!

We have two new people on the team:

• Welcome to Donna - who had her $800 starter show on Thursday night and then took orders for another $350 in products on Friday. What a great start! Donna is a busy marketing exec with wedding plans this year.
• Welcome to Angel - I’m about to go to Angel’s house for her starter show! Very exciting. Angel is a new mum to 11 month old daughter, Charlie!

I’ve finally decided on a name for my future unit. My team will be called the Rainbows. I like the colours, the imagery, the pot of gold, and the Kermit the Frog song, Rainbow Connections. My goal is to be promoted to Unit Leader on May 1st!

All for now - see ya!

Candle Biz

Hi everyone! FYI - I'm going to use this blog for some candle business, too! I'm the leader of a team of consultants now and this is a great way for me to keep in touch with them. You can stay up on what my little biz is up to, too!

G'day team!

Yesterday I made 12 candle calls. Rebecca to reschedule and discuss becoming a consultant. Donna to schedule and to answer her questions about becoming a consultant. Marcia to reschedule. Sharon to confirm date and check on progress. Lyn to confirm date and check on progress. Lynda to confirm that I did submit her replacement order and that I’ll recover the damaged item at the next party. Michelle to see if she wants a party (she was at a show in November). Caroline to make sure her order was received, complete, and distributed – it was, so now I can call her guests to say hi. Janine to ask how things are going as a new consultant. Libby to confirm receipt of her goodies. Marisa to thank her for the show on Friday and to confirm that I need her order on Monday – the house was still filled with people when I left. And Kerry, to see if she wants a party – she had a really successful show for a Kitchen Tea last November.

Anyway – it took me about an hour and a half to make the calls. I didn’t get through to everyone, but I left messages if they didn’t answer. I just needed to sit down and do it. It felt good actually. Like a weight off my shoulders.

Here are the phone call hints we got at our February Unit Meeting:

1. Have your diary there and ready
2. Have a script – know what you’re going to say
3. Set a goal – how many calls are you going to make – or how many shows are you going to get
4. Motivate yourself – it’s not always your favourite thing – I don’t mind it, it’s just that I procrastinate - pump yourself up and just do it
5. Smile while you’re talking – they can feel it
6. Ask for a referral - do they have a friend who is a candle freak? Meet that person!
7. Leave a message – don’t hang up – let them know you called and that you’ll call back – then they are expecting your call
8. Follow up – my calls resulted in 2 mailouts and 5 calls back – the mail is ready now and the calls will happen this arvo
9. Email a summary of what was decided
10. Assume everybody loves candles!

If you submit four (4) $500 shows in March, you will go into the draw to win one of three free registrations to the PartyLite Conference in July. Unfortunately, my first show didn’t make it to $500, but I’m working on the others. What about you?

Let's challenge ourselves - go get one more show on your calendar for March – there’s plenty of time! See ya!

Bake

When my dad asked if I was sitting down, I knew something had gone wrong. He said it so calmly though. And that's my dad... calm. I've rarely seen him panic. In fact, I've never seen him panic. Lose his temper, definitely - panic, never.

But this time, the news was shocking. Bake has died.

In one instant, the whole trip to the US was worth every dollar and every credit card interest payment I'll make. You just can't buy the incredible experience of the 3 days Douglas and I spent with Bake last month.

I've been meaning to write about it.

Now I am forced to. Forced to say something profound about this man who captured my heart for almost 38 years.

I'll not capture it in this post. It will take several. And I might come up with little things many years from now. But I will tell one story that touched me incredibly.

Holding Hands

Douglas and I had gone out to the Oyster Bar on Daytona Beach Shores. It's a sports bar and this was our second night in a row to sit there and enjoy some time together. The first night we watched the Australian Open (Roddick versus Safin) and the Coyotes game. This night we watched the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots. Then we walked in the beautiful winter night air of Florida to the Mai Tai - a bar we had been to the night before. We knew that they had a band playing. We watched a set and then left before I could make a fool of myself and ask to sing.

We grabbed a cab and went back to Bake's. We stayed up watching movies until 5:00 in the morning. It was nice to spend time together. Exactly what I had been craving - alone time with my brother.

The next morning, I woke at 9:30. I had heard the phone ringing and finally decided to answer it. Gary was trying to get a message to Bake. We chatted for a few minutes, I took the message, and then I decided to stay up. Sleeping the day away wouldn't give me more time with Bake. Sleep could come later.

Bake was happy to see me and he asked if I wanted to go to Steve's for breakfast. If you know Bake, then you must know that he frequents Steve's frequently. They all know him there. "Hello, Mr Baker." The three of us had already eaten two dinners there, and Bake and I decided to go there for breakfast this morning.

We got into the car. He drove of course. I wasn't scared of him driving at all. I suppose for long distances I might be worried, but he was fine. And as we drove to Steve's, I asked Bake whether he had started going to church regularly. You see, he had mentioned some friends from church the night before. And this is what he said. I'll not get all the words right, but I will capture them as best I can. Let's hope it's an accurate quote. You'll have to imagine his southern drawl. I can hear it.

Ah-hem, I don't attend services every week. I'm good friends with the minister, you see, and if I miss a sermon, he'll put it in the post to me and I can read it. (Long pause.)

You know... Elizabeth... she didn't like any form of public affection. She didn't like to see young people kissing or holding hands in public. She thought people should only do those things in private.

When we would go to church together, during the service, sometimes she would take my hand (Bake took my hand) and put it in her lap (he put my hand onto the center console close to him) and would squeeze it ever so slightly (Bake did this to my hand and the tears started to well up in my eyes). It was the only place she would do that... and I miss it terribly. (Another long pause.)

So, you see... going to church is a pretty difficult thing for me. It makes me think of Elizabeth.

He went on to tell me about a friend of his who had to change churches because of the same sort of feelings. About how amazingly powerful the place was - that it could have such an effect on a person. He was consoled by the fact that it wasn't just him that had that experience.

He pulled into the parking lot at Steve's. And we went inside to have breakfast.

Thanks for waking me up, Gary. This memory is priceless. It has been on my mind for 4 weeks now. And yesterday, when my dad called, it, and a few hundred more moments from last month, and a lifetime of memories, came back to me.

I love you, Bake. Good-bye.