Let me explain, back when I first started blogging I had a few Google ads on my site and made about .16 a month... Not the fast track to retirement for sure. Then I was approached to do a couple reviews. If you have been reading since the beginning you'll remember I used to do a weekly meme called "Five Favorites Fridays" so this blended nicely to doing some reviews... But it felt wrong... Up until that point anything I shared was stuff I chose and liked... It was a turning point. I took down the Google ads and just focused on blogging.
Why does this matter... Well, because I am doing direct sales, so to share what I'm up to is to rethink that position... But it has become such a big part of my life so not to share means giving up on blogging... So here is how I got into direct sales and to where I am today...
Early summer I had made the decision not to go back to the school this year and threw myself into the interior re-do of our house... I was coming out of one of the darkest seasons of my life and needed to focus on positive things... We were changing just about everything... New paint, new flooring, new appliances, new furniture, new decor, the works... So when I saw an ad online for some beautiful dishes I had to see how much they were.
They were sold by a company called "Blessings Unlimited" a direct sales division of DaySpring so I followed a couple links to check them out. Of course they were more then I wanted to spend outright for the whole set so I looked online to see if someone who sold it was nearby so I could book a party... Alas, the closest person was in Pennsylvania! Now I had a tough decision to make... Sign up myself, get everything in the kit, hold one party myself and try to earn the dishes 1/2 price OR just pick a consultant and place a random order on their account... I went back and forth for a few weeks... I had sold Tupperware briefly when Katy was a baby and Stampin' Up when Allison was a baby and dabbled with a few other companies over the years but always ended up spending more then I earned so I was ambivalent about joining... Plus, I was sure the reason nobody in New England was selling it was because there is no market for their products here... So of course I signed up... I'd get the kit, host ONE party, earn the dishes and be done with it... The Lord had other plans.
You see, I signed up in July of last year just as the company was gearing up for their annual conference... Not that I wanted to go, I'd been in the company for six days! But at that conference they announced they were ending the "Blessings Unlimited" brand and launching "Mary & Martha" a company dedicated to encouraging women to entertain in their homes... Their tag line is "Meaningful Entertaining... Made Simple" (ellipsis and all!!!) It was like a miracle... Like the Lord created this company just for me. I remember a few days later looking at the new "guide" online and crying... I told my husband I really thought the Lord wanted me to give this a try... So I had my one party... And within 60 days I had a team under me and had promoted to "Team Leader"... Not that it hasn't been work, but I love it... Here are some pictures From Mary & Martha Gatherings (as we call parties) in our home this fall & winter and some of the decor... (and a peek at a bit of our "re-do'!)
(we plan to do a full remodel on the kitchen in the next year or two so we just painted the cabinets for now to "freshen" things a bit.)
Here is what I tell people when they ask Mary & Martha's parent company is DaySpring... The Christian division of Hallmark. We sell items for entertaining in and decorating your home as well gift items all with a Bible based or inspirational message."
Is there a market for it in the spiritual void that is the Northeast? Well, no... But the Lord has blessed my efforts and that of my team... It is hard but the Lord says his word does not return void... I spend a lot of time talking about what the Lord is doing in my life while presenting my products at both home gatherings and vendor fairs... I get to share His word with people who would never listen to me if I approached them with a Bible... I love that I get to combine ministry with an opportunity to help my family. With Paul not working right now, my income from this business is our only real income so we are beyond blessed to have it!
I just got back from San Antonio, Texas (I'll tell more about this in my next post) which was a trip I earned this past fall...
Here is where I shamelessly ask for your help... (I promise I won't make a habit of this!!) You see I am very close to earning a trip for Paul & I to go to Los Cabos, Mexico this April... I had to sell $20,000 to earn it and still need to sell $830 as of this morning by the end of this month. We have never been on a vacation together. We took the girls to Disney once but we have never been anywhere alone together... We never even went on a Honeymoon. Our 23rd anniversary is this April and I would LOVE to take him on this trip... If you feel led to, please follow the link below to my website and if you see something you'd like to purchase, I'd be deeply grateful! We are having a clearance sale right now as our new catalog comes out in February so you can save up to 80% off so now is a great time to stock up for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Spring & Summer Weddings, Birthdays, or just buy a little something for yourself... Thank you in advance for looking!
My website: www.RebeccasBlessedHome.com
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