The Decision to Drink The Juice

10/1/15 Update: I now drink doTERRA juice

Earlier this year, I made the decision to become an entrepreneur for the second time (like I didn't learn my lesson the first time, right?) lol. Definitely venturing off into uncharted waters and pushing my comfort zone to the limit. But again, I've made a decision to make this work, so there is no turning back.

I was introduced to a network marketing company by the name of Arbonne 4 years ago. I was running my own marketing business at the time, and met this lovely woman at a networking event I was hosting. She asked me out to lunch so we could learn more about each other and I agreed. 

While at lunch I quickly realized I was being pitched to. I was a little upset and felt misguided because (I thought) this wasn't a "real" business, and now - I was an hour behind on my "real" work. At the end of her presentation, she asked if I was interested in joining her team. I couldn't possibly tell her how I really felt about the business, however, I did love the product mantra and what they stood by. I politely declined, but I did agree to introduce her to people in my network and even host a party for her. I'm grateful my introductions lead Arbonne to be the leading sponsor of Latino Fashion Week in the year that followed.  

At that point in time, network marketing was a joke to me. I mean, (insert snooty voice) I went to college! I had a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising and Communications. There's no way I was going to be peddling products, no matter how 'green' they were. I'm not a sales person. Besides, a few close friends and family had already given this kind of business a shot and had nothing to show for it. This doesn't work. I was often (aggressively) asked to join other skin care companies from strangers on the street, and worst of all - my parents were talked into refinancing their home, all for the sake of someone's commission -when they had no business doing so. I wasn't going to be THAT person. 

So what the heck happened? Why did I drink the juice? Well, it was a combination of things that lead me to that defining moment.

First, while I didn't join Arbonne that one day over lunch, I did begin a friendship with that lovely woman. Beneen was never pushy, always respectful, kind, understanding and genuine. Completely different from any other network marketer I met before. As we kept in touch over the years, I realized - this really is a business and it really does work. She was the only living proof I had that you actually can make it, you can win trips, you can be successful! While I was working long and tiring days, she was enjoying them at the luxury of her own schedule. I secretly envied that...but it would still take  some time and convincing before I could pour me a glass. 

Second reason. The birth of my son. All the clichés are true; once you have a baby - your entire world changes. Your priorities change. Your heart quadruples in size and everything you do, every decision you make - is with them in mind. I went back to work after an 11 week maternity leave, not because I wanted to - but because my FMLA was coming to an end. It was one of the toughest things I had to do; handing my son over to the arms of a stranger gave me so much anxiety. I lost sleep and cried for days leading up to that moment. And it didn't help that the first day of daycare was a complete and utter disaster due to neglect. (Which I can't even get into right now without my blood pressure rising). My maternal instincts were on high alert and I just couldn't bare to miss out on so much. 

I tried to find comfort by reading articles and blogs on moms that go back to work after baby. But the only encouragement I found was "it gets easier with time". I just couldn't accept this as a final answer.  I had to find a better way.

Just 4 years after I gave Beneen a hard "no", I found myself having lunch with her again, only this time, with my baby in tow, scrambling for ideas that would grant me time and financial freedom. By now, I was making a 3 hour commute (a day) just so I could rest assured my son was in good hands. I had very little sleep (aside from tending to his needs) and was completely passionless in my corporate position. My career became a job overnight. My only passion, was, is, my son.

I don't believe in having regrets. Life is much too short to dwell on the past. However, I'll be the first to admit that I am ashamed of my behavior, mindset and immaturity back then. In these past four years- I wish I had been more open minded about such an incredible opportunity. One that will allow me to enjoy my son, family and personal and financial freedom as I wish. As before, many things aligned for me in order to take that leap, and I'm soooo glad I did! There is no "luck"or magic sauce in this business. It takes learning skills, dedication and the DECISION to succeed, no matter what the masses say about you. I've been so blessed with an incredible mentor and hell of a team - that reinforces my decision to be successful. I've also read a lot of books and seen great documentaries that reaffirm network marketing truly is a better way. 

If you've ever found yourself even the slightest bit curious about joining a network marketing company, I encourage you to take a sip. Start with this video with one of my favorite authors, Eric Worre interviewing one of my favorite life coaches Tony Robbins on The Power Of Network Marketing.

And to those who are sipping away without raising your glass, let's CHEER together! I can't tell you how many times I'm in the middle of presenting my business to someone, and low and behold - they secretly own a network marketing business too! Doubt and confidence cannot coexist. OWN your decision. Stand up tall and be proud of the life-changing opportunity you hold. If you don't feel it in your heart, take some time to find your WHY. Your "why" will guide you to your "how", and the rest will surely follow. 

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

Why are we so critical of ourselves? Our looks, our shape, eyes, nose, cheeks - gosh - it's exhausting how much people complain about themselves. Why can't we just be happy with what we have and move on with our lives? I know I talk about acceptance a lot, but really-  if people learned to accept and embrace everything around them, perhaps we wouldn't be so unhappy. Don't you think?

I love a good campaign. This one in particular makes an impact in many ways; It's direct and it tells an emotional story with very little words. Well done, Dove. Well done.

"Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses." ~Proverb

Marketing Plantains

My fiancé loves listening to ESPN 1000. I mean, what guy doesn't, right? It's his daily dose of sports and I have to admit, I like watching him agree and talk to the radio as if they can hear him :) We were at a bar a few weeks ago and I overheard a conversation he was having about how 'someone didn't know what plantains were.' So nosey me goes- WHO doesn't know what plantains are?? Turns out, while listening to Mike & Mike earlier that day- the hosts brought up a comment about how "The Dominican Team wear bananas as lucky charms." As in, they didn't realize those are not bananas. As in, they had no clue what plantains are. Never heard of one!

Sounds silly, right? Especially because one of the hosts played in Miami at one point in time and the other had been in Puerto Rico for an extensive amount of time. Nevertheless, this sparked somewhat of an interesting conversation on the radio and on social media. I don't think listeners were angry, but rather excited to educate both Mike and Mike on what a plantain is.

I always keep an ear to the ground for a marketing opportunity. What happened next, I think- is brilliant. Someone at a company called Pollo Tropical in Miami caught wind of the conversation (how? I don't know) but they seized the opportunity for a simple and affective marketing ploy. They actually sent Mike & Mike a box of plantains, with instructions on how to cook them in a variety of ways. Lucky for the hosts, they had a chef at the station who prepared them right then and there.

That day, they announced "We've embarrassed ourselves by our lack of culture" and laughed about how they've "been chastised on twitter with the fact that we didn't know about a plantain." Overall they loved tasting platano for the first time. The fact that this conversation carried on for a couple days when it could of been a random mention shows how much we are listening. "We" as in Latinos. Aside from the people that actaully made an attempt to reach the hosts, you can bet there were a hundred others who had a conversation about the incident with friends and family. Like my fiancé did.

Unfortunately, there is a missed opportunity here as well. In my opinion, Pollo Tropical should have taken the free radio shout out and maximized it on social media. I don't see a mention of their efforts on their Facebook page, and their Twitter page is a blank slate.

Never underestimate the power of Word of Mouth marketing!

Catch the full Mike & Mike transcripts here! March 21, March 22

-Dais

How Not To Suck At Your Sales Pitch

Being a salesperson is one of the toughest jobs I've ever had; I highly admire the skill and hope to better refine it myself. I was a salesperson in college and again as a business owner. Lately I've found myself on the other side of the table and I'm just amazed at how many things I've picked up! I've given many presentations in my lifetime, and still do - but the sales pitch is one you cannot take for granted. My last few meetings have prompted this quick list of tips. A lot of these I learned in college as best practices while interviewing for jobs - which is also a sales pitch!

• Do your homework. If you're trying to land a job or potential client, research and learn important facts and company successes; make a list of talking points. It's always impressive to have someone tell you about you - rather than taking the clueless approach or worse, confusing your interviewer's accomplishments with another company!
• Gather your thoughts and speak clearly. No one will understand you if you speak 100 mph. It's okay to be nervous; take a deep breath, calm your thoughts and do your best to be present in the moment. If you maximize the first bullet point - this should come easy.
• Limit your "I don't knows." Honesty is great, but use "I don't know" sparingly; I would limit myself to two- and If you follow that up with an "I'll get back to you" - actually do it!
• Exude confidence, not cockiness. You're here for a reason! Show those suits you own your terrain, but don't over do it by presuming you're the one and only.
• Poise and body language. This goes hand in hand with your confidence. Sit up straight and physically show you are interested in the conversation.
• Make eye contact. Look at the individuals you are speaking to. If there is more than one person in the room, make sure you are acknowledging everyone- including the intern.
• Always take notes. Preparedness is a sexy. Be ready. Be proactive.
• Turn your phone off.
• Hand write a thank you note. These always rock my socks and will impress your interviewers hella. No one does this any more! I guarantee you will stand out when its time to make a decision.
• Don't admit to your potential clients that you are hungover from the night before, and are, therefore ill-prepared. Seriously.
• This one is for the ladies: Even in 2013 we still seem to take a back seat in the boardroom when a man is present. I see it happen more often than not. Don't let it happen to you! Let your voice be heard and your opinion count.

Did I miss anything? Go forth and conquer!

-Dais

Perhaps It's Time To Clean Up Your Act

As a marketing consultant, I am fully engrossed in the world of social media. I study it, plan it, read about it, write about it and understand it more than I'd like to. I say that because it's sometimes hard to enjoy the tool when you know so much about it... I often wonder if it will ever stop evolving!?! But it won’t. It's here to stay. I am fortunate to have grown along side it from non-existence to what it is today, and on most days, I really do love all it has to offer and how it's changed the way we communicate.

My theory on why social media has become so triumphant is very simple: it’s a platform to talk about yourself. We want to be heard and social media gives us that freedom, plus billions of possible listeners along with it. It’s dangerous and liberating all at once. Think of how much power is in like, retweet, comment or share. A lot! Sadly, most of the population online is so preoccupied with getting their ego stroked, they often forget who they really are. I know a lot of people who are not who they say they are on social media, and I'm sure you do too.

Whether you realize it or not, know that you are constantly marketing yourself; you are a walking billboard! Your updates, networks, the things you like, the comments you post, places you check-in to, your photos, your "about" section -they all say something about you in a very public way. Take few minutes to analyze if your feed reflects the image you want portray. If the answer is no, here are a few suggestions to get started on cleaning it up:

• Study your privacy settings and use them accordingly
• Take advantage of friend "lists" on Facebook! You can make a list for family, co-workers, close friends - etc. In my opinion, they shouldn't be seeing the same things all the time.
• Select your friends carefully; if your list consists of a ton of strangers you never even speak to, it may be time to let them go- OR- perhaps they deserve to be on a separate list all on their own. I use social networks for marketing purposes, so if you're like me, chances are you can't avoid strangers completely. Again, use your privacy settings accordingly!
• People use your drama as conversation starters- off line. Yes, they do. Stop giving people a reason to talk about you.
• If you're looking for work and/or want to be taken serious in your profession - keep it professional! I guarantee employers are searching your name on social networks as soon as they receive your resume. Your profile picture says a lot. So do your last 20 tweets describing what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner and how bored you are.
• Want to have better conversations online? Great! Talk with people not at them. It's great that you have an opinion on latest gay rights issue, but in order to talk about it with your network, you have to open that door. Instead of saying "I support gay rights" try something like "When the term "marriage equality" is really broken down, all that is left is love. Wouldn't you agree?" - if that doesn't work, try something different next time. The point is not to create a dead end in a potentail two-way conversation.
• It's okay if you have nothing to say. Keep that to yourself too :)
• Most importantly, keep it real. There's no need to fake it online and you will be awfully embarrassed when your true colors are discovered; you can only keep the lying for so long.

On the flip side - maybe you don't give a rats ass about how any social network makes you look - and that's okay too. Keep on keepin on.

-Dais