Have You Started Your Christmas Shopping?

I know what your thinking! Christmas? It's not even the fourth of July!

In my opinion on the fourth of July summer is pretty much over. Oh, you have the rest of July for the swimming, the bar-b-ques, the sun burns, but when August hits our minds go to school clothes, books and the changing schedules.

July has always been my least favorite month of the year. In which case I don't mind that it seems to go by so fast. It won't be long before a visit to Hobby Lobby will be a winter wonderland experience. The Christmas trees all lit, stockings hung and ornaments galore!

It won't be long before flip flops turn to UGGS and 63 degrees turns to 36 degrees. But no worries Christmas is still six months from next Saturday. And the days won't start getting shorter until next week.

Have a wonderful summer!

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Brown Bag Marketing - the power of a partner

What a profitable and great time we had at Brown Bag Marketing last Tuesday!  

The main topic was, 'Where Do You Go For Help In Getting Started In Business?' The discussion was so informative with a lot of brainstorming. It centered around the concept of every month having a different team partner. The idea is to form a relationship - to learn about each others business so you can tell others, and to encourage one another. 

Its amazing to see really close friendships starting to grow and how the team partners get really excited about the others business. One of the most important aspects of starting a new business is having the CONFIDENCE in yourself and your ideas. Having others who have either been there, done that or going through the same situation helps to see the strengths and the areas that need to be worked on.  

If you haven't been to Brown Bag Marketing...you're really missing out. Our next strategy session is Tuesday, July 12. 

Hope to see you there.  

 

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Laundry Day!

Today's blog is really going to age me, but I feel I have to share about my laundry. Weird I know, but todays topic just the same. My question is: Does anyone besides me remember when Mondays were laundry day?

I mean laundry day...the whole day.

As I was growing up, my grandmother would do laundry on Monday (this is where the aging comes in). We would go down to the basement..not a pretty sight, dirt walls, dirt floor and the smell of dampness filled the whole room.

I loved helping her! There she had a wash machine and two square tubs...one for rinsing and the other for really rinsing. When the machine was done she would crank the handle and the machine would push each piece of clothing through the wringer at the top of the machine.

My job was to catch them on the other side and put them in the first rinse tub. Then my grandmother would take each piece out of the tub, wring them by hand and put them in the second tub. Then she'd repeat the wringing out, put them in a basket and carry the wet clothes up the stairs to the laundry lines that hung from the house to the end of the yard. Then we'd hang each piece and go back to do the next load. Late in the afternoon she would take each piece of clothing from the line to fold and put in the basket.

As I was dreading to start my daily load of laundry, I thought what am I dreading? It only takes a couple of minutes to put the laundry in the machine. I have those new front loads that have sensors that do all the work then lets me know when its done.

I think my grandmother would be amazed at the very thing I take for granted. Forgive me Lord for overlooking the blessings that hit me in the face everyday. By the way Tuesday was ironing day...but thats a whole different story.

Have a wonderful and blessed laundry day!

 

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Get ready to network!

Last month at Brown Bag Marketing I asked everyone to write down and turn in a topic they would like to discuss. So next Tuesday, June 14th at Brown Bag we will be discussing a couple of these topics.

Dealing with competition is one of those topics. Like it or not your competition is all around you, but in the spirit of free enterprise...competition is a good thing. If your competitor is eating your lunch...that is not good. What are some things you can do to stand out from your competition?

We will also discuss prioritizing/taking care of yourself. If your all work and no play...or trying to please everyone in your life from clients to family you are probably exhausted and running on empty. How do you get it all into perspective?

If your not networking, your missing out. Come enjoy, learn and meet others who share your same concerns.

     Brown Bag Marketing

     Tuesday, June 14,2011

     Location: emPowerU Bldg. 518 So. 6th

     Sign In: 11:00-11:30 A.M.

     Strategy Session: 11:30 A.M.- 1:00 P.M.

     Strategy Session Fee: $20.00

See you there!

 

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Just call me Gams!

Every summer my two granddaughters come to stay for a week. This year it will be two. They are ten and almost eight years old. It's strange how grandkids turn you back into a kid yourself. Life becomes an event, a party, a whole different world. The everyday drudgeries of life are cast to the wind.

The girls favorite thing to do is swim. I was thinking that we could take pictures of the pools over the years without the girls even in the picture. You could tell their ages by the size of the pool. From a very small baby pool to last year buying a large one with the ladder, the pump and oh yeah because of its size, the city required we put up a temporary fence around it. Can you say Gams?

That's what we do as grandparents, we make everything a little bigger, a little better and a lot of fun. Its hard to stuff all the fun into a weeks time, but we do it. Swimming, sewing, riding scooters, crafting, eating out, night, night talks, Worlds of Fun. Whew!!

I love making memories with Mackenzie and Morgan. For those few days everything is NEW again. Something only a Gams would understand.

 

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Goal Setting

Setting goals can be overwhelming. Where do I start? What are my goals? Do I even have goals? Do I really have the time to sit and think about my goals?

Let me just say that without goals you'll never accomplish your dreams. Daily life has a way of pulling us in many directions and before you know it a year or two has gone by and your still sitting at the starting line.

1. One of the biggest mistakes is in our enthusiasm we set up unreasonably high goals that will cause you to become frustrated, discouraged and defeated. Here are some ideas for setting goals.
2. Start with two or three
3. Be specific, focused and measurable.
4. Making goals too easy is not realistic. Stretching yourself will produce the best results
5. Ask yourself: Do I believe in my goals? Believability is what motivates you towards accomplishment.
6. Not all marketing goals need to be a stretch. Some will be more easily accomplished than others.
7. Your marketing goals should be recorded either handwritten, or logged into your computer. This allows for tracking, evaluating, measuring and managing.
8. Scratch off as you accomplish..completion is a good habit.

Remember: Goals build confidence and momentum and that challenge is good for growth. Now go start setting those goals!

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