Monday Mingle–Business Edition #2

Monday Mingle–Business Edition is a fun meme, hosted by my friend Lynsey Jones, the Party Plan Coach.  Join us each week as we discuss our businesses.  We’d love to have you join in anytime!

Okay, having established that I am not really good at keeping at a specific time for postings, ahem, I present to you this week’s Monday Mingle, or rather Tuesday Tingle–Business Edition.  What can I say?  A day late and a dollar short ain’t too bad!

My story is probably an odd one.  At least I can’t imagine that loads of other people have experienced quite what I have…

Many, many moons ago, I became involved with one direct sales, party plan company.  I did okay, but I was pressured into leadership and given no support.  I basically was expected to run all over town and hold meetings and such to get others to join–leaving me no time to sell products myself.  Eventually, I wanted to re-claim my time and sell (I needed money, after all and I couldn’t make money in leadership without sales) and was told, “no.”  I left.

Later, I signed with another company.  I loved the products (still do) but felt pressured and coerced from the beginning.  I moved into leadership, received good trainings, but was trained in some predatory practices that our leader used to build her business.  It was the 90s and I think that played into a lot of the attitudes.  I wasn’t really comfortable operating that way and I believed that my inability to be quite as “business savvy” as others who embraced the teaching was the reason that I didn’t succeed at a level that I wanted to.

Costa Rica set by Premier Designs

Eventually, I left because I was pressured to keep up appearances to stay in a “company car” that I couldn’t afford.  But, after having done loads and loads of adult training with that company, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher, and so I did.

Fast forward 11 years, and I was invited to a Premier Designs Jewelry Show by my friend, Misty.  She asked me in advance to be one of her 3 hostesses and I told her that I would.  At the party, the consultant sat in a chair and didn’t move.  We played bingo, which most of us promptly ignored.   After the show, I completed my order and took it to her with payment.  I explained that I was one of Misty’s hostesses and set a date on her calendar.  I also asked for a catalog to take home.  She complied and said very little.

At home, I showed hubby the jewelry and kept thinking, with a product so awesome, I could sell that!  So, I emailed the consultant later that evening and said that I wanted to sign up.  She called me and asked if I had questions.  I asked the one question I had, “What does it cost?”  I had done my research in the afternoon and knew everything else I wanted to know.  She invited me to an informational meeting where I met several nice ladies and I signed up.

The consultant did my Kick-Off show and within a couple of weeks of trying to ask questions and seldom hearing back., I never heard from her again.  Once, last year, I ran into her in Wal-Mart and we chatted a bit.

It was during this time that I found Lynsey and Party Plan Divas.  I was able to learn and try a few things out as a beginner while waiting to plug into some local support.  I have greatly benefitted from my membership there!

Meanwhile, my sponsor had mentioned a local training and I went by myself (scared to death) and began to meet the ladies who would be my trainers and my support in the place of my sponsor.  I am so glad I went to that meeting.  Without training and support, I would have been likely to have failed fairly quickly.

Ironically, many of the very ladies who mentored me (and still do) don’t receive anything from my sales because I am not in their direct line.  They just did the right thing by helping me because they understood that it was worth it to build others up, regardless of whether they benefit directly.  I was amazed!  This is how business should be!  I fell in love with my sisters in the business and the company.  I’ve had a lot of ups and downs over the past 15 months with Premier, but it is a company that I truly love and believe in!

See the complete line at www.jans.jamberrynails.com

My story with Jamberry Nails is quite different.  An online friend, Kim Rhodes, that I made on the Party Plan Divas website introduced me to the product and I immediately saw how amazing it truly is.  So, I signed up under her.  We already had a relationship and I trust her.  I have just received my kit and I am just beginning to get my feet wet in running two businesses at once.  So, wish me luck!

Have you ever worked with a Party Plan company?  Which one?

Till next time,