Before Ellie was born and until she was about five months old, I was really good about keeping up with our family blog. I wanted to make sure that all of the amazing things that happened to our family every day would never be forgotten. With so much going on it's easy to forget about the daily things that happen, the things that make us smile and the things that make us cry. I kept track of my adventure as my dad became more and more sick and eventually when he died. I kept track of all the silly things Sophia did and said as she went from being a baby to an adorable toddler. I kept track of our struggles as we planned to have another baby and the excitement of finding out Ellie was coming to us. I kept track of Ellie's first few months.
Then something happened. It was unexpected, to say the least. It wasn't one of those life events that you know right away will change everything forever. It was more like a non-event and yet from that moment until very recently, this blog was put aside to make room for it.
One night I was scrolling through Facebook and I had a request from a friend to "like" her new page. I liked it without really looking at it that carefully. It was a "Jamberry" page...whatever that meant. I saw a picture or two of the products and thought "these are weird, do people really wear them?" About a minute later Heather messaged me to ask if I would be interested in hosting a Jamberry Facebook party. I still didn't really understand what Jamberry was and I definitely didn't know what a Facebook party was but she offered to send me some free products so I said yes. I hosted a party that wasn't super successful and I knew that when it was over, she would ask me if I wanted to join. I didn't. I had never done direct sales nor did I have any desire to be "that person". When the message came, I was ready to say "no" until I read the part about how much success she had had in the short time since she became a consultant. It made me think.
After my Dad died, my perspective on life changed. It was super clear to me that we are not promised tomorrow. Every moment is precious and I wanted to spend as many precious moments as I could with my family. So, I approached Ken about the possibility of using Jamberry to pay for someone to clean our house a couple of times a week. That way I didn't have to waste any of my Saturday time doing that dreaded chore! He was in and so was I!
I'll be honest, I didn't have a great reception by family friends when I announced that I was doing this. It's not that anyone spoke out against it, I just didn't have an outpouring of orders or requests for parties like a lot of people did. That never stopped me though! Since the beginning, I've thought outside the box, pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, and persisted to make the most out of what I'm doing.
Still, within the first couple of months I was making enough to pay for the cleaning people. I was good with that. I didn't have expectations or hopes beyond that $200/month. Until I did ;) That January, after meeting a goal and receiving a promotion, my upline bought me a Jamberry hoodie as a "congrats" gift. When she brought it to me, we talked about the business a little. She told me that she heard that there were women with Jamberry that were making $15,000/month. (Funny enough, in retrospect that number is pretty small compared to the money many women are actually making now. Not me (yet) but many many women) Then she said "Can you imagine? You could quit your JOB!". Oh my gosh. I could QUIT MY JOB. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED teaching. That job gave me so much joy. Still, it kept me away from my kids. I now had a new mission: Make as much money as it would take to quit my job without having to sacrifice our standard of living.
Before having Sophia, I never imagined that I would be someone who would want to stay home. I mean, I have two bachelor's degrees and a master's for crying out loud! Then I had Sophia and that changed. I'll never forget that first day that I had to leave my baby to go to work. It felt so wrong. Just as it did each year when the summer ended and I had to go back. It's not that I didn't want to work, I just didn't want to miss anything.
So, I got to busy. I figured out a schedule where I could get in the hours I needed to build a solid, sustainable, and growing business. In those months that I was still teaching, I actually DID miss out on time with my family. Even then I knew that if I wanted to reach my ultimate goal, I was going to have to make some sacrifices. SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE FOR LONG-TERM GAINS. On March 25th, 2014, I did it. I got a promotion that would give me the minimum income I needed to quit my job. I remember thinking that I was pretty bad-ass. I wanted to stay home, there was NO way that could happen if things stayed as they were, so I MADE IT HAPPEN in a different way. That was the first time I realized that my life can be exactly whatever I want it to be. I don't have to follow anyone else's path. I can make my own path.
In the last 2+ years that I've been home, it hasn't always been easy. Direct Sales is a proven business model. It's cyclical and there are certainly ebbs and flows. It's a business where you have to rely on the resilience and determination of others to reach your own goals. There have been many women that have joined me on this journey that have never had success, that have had some success then let the business go, and that have worked hard from day 1. I'm grateful to all of them and to all those that will join me in the future. There have certainly been moments where I thought I made the wrong choice to put all my eggs in this nail-basket but in the end, there is no way, no how I will ever quit. Put aside the potential (6+ figure income selling nail products part-time? Yes please!), I will never quit because I know that being home is where I'm meant to be.
Working my Jamberry business means that I can be home with my babies WHILE I use my creativity, set goals, CRUSH my goals, help other women, reach for the stars, and fulfill my own need to be professionally successful. I am able to make my own schedule where I put my family and personal obligations first then schedule everything else around them. I am able to design a life I love.
All that being said, I work very, very hard. With some encouragement (and because I always seem to think I have more time than I do) I opened my own custom party decoration business called Joy and Jubilee. PLUS, I took on a challenge to open a chapter of Polka Dot Powerhouse in Las Cruces. To say the least, the limited free time I once had is now GONE.
As you know I started this summer with the intention of keeping my girls learning and busy for as much of the summer as I could. There were several reasons for this: 1) I absolutely didn't want them watching TV all summer; 2) They both learned so much in school last year and I didn't want them to lose it; 3) I need time to work and if they are working on projects, they are entertained, quiet, and content; 4) (most importantly) They will only be this age once. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it. (Thanks Ferris)
For the first 6 weeks, I did an amazing job at keeping up with my themes and projects. Even the girls recognized that this summer was turning out to be something special. The last two weeks though, I've failed big time. I've had so many deadlines with all three of my ventures, special events, meetings, deliveries, etc. Week 7 was supposed to be all about Dinosaurs. I started the week by letting them watch The Land Before Time. I also found a few dinosaur related activities that they could do by themselves. We were meant to go to the library and the museum but never made it. The next week was Space week. Epic fail. Each night that ended a day with no activities, I felt terrible. I hate to not follow through on things. I hate to feel like I'm putting aside my kids to work. BUT I have to remind myself that I'm doing the best I can. There is only so much time in each day, despite planning, scheduling, and prioritizing. I have to remind myself that this is ALL FOR THEM. If I don't do what needs to be done, I don't get to stay home. It's just that simple. So while I feel guilty for missing out on those two weeks of memories, those two weeks will help pay for the next several months of memories. SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE FOR LONG-TERM GAINS.
Last week, I had just finished up some work and was starting to clean up the kitchen before I went to a meeting. Sophia came in and asked if I could come play since I was done with my work. I've talked to her before about my "work". I've told her that sometimes I have to work from home so that I can stay home with her and Ellie. That day I explained that in addition to my jobs as a "Jamberry seller" and "Joy & Jubilee" maker, as she calls them, I also have another job that is the most important of all - Wife & Mother. She walked over, put her hands around my waist, and said "Thank you for working so hard for us." I think I'm doing a good job with that one ;)
This week consists of a few loose ends to tie up, quite a bit of follow-up, and a little outreach. I should wrap up by Tuesday which leaves me with one, very important day to spend with my babies before Ken and I head to Vegas for the weekend! I'm not perfect, I don't always have it all together, but as long as I can cut myself a break and keep the big picture in mind, I can continue doing this forever. And as long as my babies know they are loved, the learn to work hard, never give up, be grateful, and treat people with kindness I'm doing my job well.
After my Dad died, my perspective on life changed. It was super clear to me that we are not promised tomorrow. Every moment is precious and I wanted to spend as many precious moments as I could with my family. So, I approached Ken about the possibility of using Jamberry to pay for someone to clean our house a couple of times a week. That way I didn't have to waste any of my Saturday time doing that dreaded chore! He was in and so was I!
I'll be honest, I didn't have a great reception by family friends when I announced that I was doing this. It's not that anyone spoke out against it, I just didn't have an outpouring of orders or requests for parties like a lot of people did. That never stopped me though! Since the beginning, I've thought outside the box, pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, and persisted to make the most out of what I'm doing.
Still, within the first couple of months I was making enough to pay for the cleaning people. I was good with that. I didn't have expectations or hopes beyond that $200/month. Until I did ;) That January, after meeting a goal and receiving a promotion, my upline bought me a Jamberry hoodie as a "congrats" gift. When she brought it to me, we talked about the business a little. She told me that she heard that there were women with Jamberry that were making $15,000/month. (Funny enough, in retrospect that number is pretty small compared to the money many women are actually making now. Not me (yet) but many many women) Then she said "Can you imagine? You could quit your JOB!". Oh my gosh. I could QUIT MY JOB. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED teaching. That job gave me so much joy. Still, it kept me away from my kids. I now had a new mission: Make as much money as it would take to quit my job without having to sacrifice our standard of living.
Before having Sophia, I never imagined that I would be someone who would want to stay home. I mean, I have two bachelor's degrees and a master's for crying out loud! Then I had Sophia and that changed. I'll never forget that first day that I had to leave my baby to go to work. It felt so wrong. Just as it did each year when the summer ended and I had to go back. It's not that I didn't want to work, I just didn't want to miss anything.
So, I got to busy. I figured out a schedule where I could get in the hours I needed to build a solid, sustainable, and growing business. In those months that I was still teaching, I actually DID miss out on time with my family. Even then I knew that if I wanted to reach my ultimate goal, I was going to have to make some sacrifices. SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE FOR LONG-TERM GAINS. On March 25th, 2014, I did it. I got a promotion that would give me the minimum income I needed to quit my job. I remember thinking that I was pretty bad-ass. I wanted to stay home, there was NO way that could happen if things stayed as they were, so I MADE IT HAPPEN in a different way. That was the first time I realized that my life can be exactly whatever I want it to be. I don't have to follow anyone else's path. I can make my own path.
In the last 2+ years that I've been home, it hasn't always been easy. Direct Sales is a proven business model. It's cyclical and there are certainly ebbs and flows. It's a business where you have to rely on the resilience and determination of others to reach your own goals. There have been many women that have joined me on this journey that have never had success, that have had some success then let the business go, and that have worked hard from day 1. I'm grateful to all of them and to all those that will join me in the future. There have certainly been moments where I thought I made the wrong choice to put all my eggs in this nail-basket but in the end, there is no way, no how I will ever quit. Put aside the potential (6+ figure income selling nail products part-time? Yes please!), I will never quit because I know that being home is where I'm meant to be.
Working my Jamberry business means that I can be home with my babies WHILE I use my creativity, set goals, CRUSH my goals, help other women, reach for the stars, and fulfill my own need to be professionally successful. I am able to make my own schedule where I put my family and personal obligations first then schedule everything else around them. I am able to design a life I love.
All that being said, I work very, very hard. With some encouragement (and because I always seem to think I have more time than I do) I opened my own custom party decoration business called Joy and Jubilee. PLUS, I took on a challenge to open a chapter of Polka Dot Powerhouse in Las Cruces. To say the least, the limited free time I once had is now GONE.
As you know I started this summer with the intention of keeping my girls learning and busy for as much of the summer as I could. There were several reasons for this: 1) I absolutely didn't want them watching TV all summer; 2) They both learned so much in school last year and I didn't want them to lose it; 3) I need time to work and if they are working on projects, they are entertained, quiet, and content; 4) (most importantly) They will only be this age once. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it. (Thanks Ferris)
For the first 6 weeks, I did an amazing job at keeping up with my themes and projects. Even the girls recognized that this summer was turning out to be something special. The last two weeks though, I've failed big time. I've had so many deadlines with all three of my ventures, special events, meetings, deliveries, etc. Week 7 was supposed to be all about Dinosaurs. I started the week by letting them watch The Land Before Time. I also found a few dinosaur related activities that they could do by themselves. We were meant to go to the library and the museum but never made it. The next week was Space week. Epic fail. Each night that ended a day with no activities, I felt terrible. I hate to not follow through on things. I hate to feel like I'm putting aside my kids to work. BUT I have to remind myself that I'm doing the best I can. There is only so much time in each day, despite planning, scheduling, and prioritizing. I have to remind myself that this is ALL FOR THEM. If I don't do what needs to be done, I don't get to stay home. It's just that simple. So while I feel guilty for missing out on those two weeks of memories, those two weeks will help pay for the next several months of memories. SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE FOR LONG-TERM GAINS.
Last week, I had just finished up some work and was starting to clean up the kitchen before I went to a meeting. Sophia came in and asked if I could come play since I was done with my work. I've talked to her before about my "work". I've told her that sometimes I have to work from home so that I can stay home with her and Ellie. That day I explained that in addition to my jobs as a "Jamberry seller" and "Joy & Jubilee" maker, as she calls them, I also have another job that is the most important of all - Wife & Mother. She walked over, put her hands around my waist, and said "Thank you for working so hard for us." I think I'm doing a good job with that one ;)
This week consists of a few loose ends to tie up, quite a bit of follow-up, and a little outreach. I should wrap up by Tuesday which leaves me with one, very important day to spend with my babies before Ken and I head to Vegas for the weekend! I'm not perfect, I don't always have it all together, but as long as I can cut myself a break and keep the big picture in mind, I can continue doing this forever. And as long as my babies know they are loved, the learn to work hard, never give up, be grateful, and treat people with kindness I'm doing my job well.
