Reconnecting

Ever wonder what reconnecting with people really is? I find myself in the last year reconnecting with people from all eras of my life. I don't do it because I feel an emptiness, I do it because it's a reminder that I had so many people that influenced my life.

I'm grateful to have the opportunity to reconnect with so many friends and family members in my life and be able to show my gratitude through friendship. Reconnecting with our past is important in order for us to understand where we are going and who we are today.

I sometimes feel I was floating through my grammar and high school years. I don't think I really woke up until I had my oldest daughter, that was when I said, Okay, let's get moving. Since 1996 I've been on a mission to better my life and achieve all the things I have up to today. It's that same drive and those people from my past that made me push myself to where I'm at now, to be that person that they once knew but to also believe in myself the way they did in me all those years.

I am grateful for all those that influenced my life.

Starting a Business

It's been so hard to focus in on where to take my home based business to in 2011. So what I've been avoiding and now realize is that I have to stop being afraid to talk to people. I have to create opportunities where I didn't think there were any.

I've started a new method of shows for myself, hosting open houses in my house 1 to 2x's a month. That has helped get the word out on what I do but at the same time help my other friends host a show too.

It's been great hosting vendor shows in my house, I get to spend time with my closes friends and customers but have my family there to support me as well.

I'm looking forward to what 2011 brings!

Thanksgiving Part II

Recently I read a post on Facebook by a friend that stated that sometimes your Family is not necessarily your immediate family but all the other people that are an extension of your family. For me this is true. Although I have immediate family members that I know I can count on, I feel that I have been blessed by the friends in my life.

So on this Thanksgiving Part II I thank all of those that have been there for not only me but my entire family when I needed it the most. It was when I needed you the most that you were there to lend me a ear or some words of wisdom that I grew into the person I am today.

May the Lord bless you all, you know who you are!

Hugs and Kisses! Maritza

Who am I

I recently got asked "What do you do?" To understand who I am now you must understand where I came from. I decided long ago that I wanted to help the World, in some way. I knew long ago that I wanted to help working parents and families in anyway to help them get ahead in life. So what I do, I do for others, because by making others successful I am successful. By opening up my heart and home to those in need, I am successful. I walk on my own path, a path that many must be strong to walk and many will fail at because they are not determined.

I am a Human Resources Director 24/7 and I do ministry with the support of my husband and children by helping others network, build their businesses, find work, write resumes and give motivation where needed.

I decided long ago to do something about it and not just talk about it. Today I am the founder of a non-profit organization, name Matrix League, which was formed to create more athletic opportunities for High School students.

Along with being the founder of the Matrix League, I run my own Mary Kay business where I empower other women to run their own MK business or other home based businesses by creating opportunities.

We have to create opportunities where there might not be!

Social Media Parties

Saw this great posting, I had to post here.

It can be a challenge sometimes to find a hostess for a party on occasion. Especially for those in a small town who may not be able to travel around a lot to the next county or city. It seems like some might know more people on Facebook or Twitter than they do in their own towns. Some may be able to meet people online who will host a party but here’s a different idea.

I have heard LOTS of people, when asked if they want to go to a (whatever company) party and they respond “Eh, I don’t really like the parties and I just don’t have time for that but I would like to look at the catalog and order something”.

Often times I make a new friend on Facebook or Twitter or connect with an old friend who is in a business that has a product I like. I often think “I’d like to order from them or have a party but they don’t live close by” and then forget what business they are doing. SO What IF… they had a social media home party???

Here’s how it works. Decide on a date, and decide on a closing date. Create 3 different invitation types. One is a regular invite you can hand to friends whose social media info you don’t have. Friends who don’t have facebook or twitter or whose e-mail you don’t have. Then create an evite for friends and family whose e-mail you have but they may not be on any social media. Then create a Facebook event and invite as many friends as you like to your social media party.

You HAVE to set a deadline because if you don’t then there will be no urgency with the orders.

On the invite, explain that you are with XYZ business and you are doing a party but they don’t come to a place, they just look at your catalog online. Mark the date and time but let them know they can call you or email you to place the order before the party.

ASK them all WHO WOULD LIKE to be put in the drawing to be the hostess. Then have a drawing to see who will get the hostess specials and benefits (Explain what that is on each invite) not everyone wants to order more than a $50 item so it would be a waste to draw their name in a drawing if they have no interest in purchasing more.

Make it fun, get your flip out and do a party demo at home then post it on youtube or post photos and show case your items just like you would set them up at a party. Even better, you could record your 15 minute presentation with permission from the group, and put that on youtube. That’s how ladies always get the ideas for how they can use your products (ie, show them how the wick cutter works or how the kitchen gadget chops) They don’t want a generic vid, they want to see YOU!

When it comes time to have the party, have a video or pictures of your kids or your spouse or even a good girlfriend helping you with the drawing for the hostess specials, then immediately post it onto your social media who won.

Be sure that those outside your delivery area know that they will had to pay additional for shipping.

Once they see your demo or photos, they will get ideas for what they want to order. They will complete their orders and you will close your party at the close out date and time. Keep in mind that most of the orders will be credit card so you will have to work that out ahead of time to be sure you have everything set up. You can take checks from people who complete their orders in advance because there will be time for them to mail them or hand them to you.

We have a lot of friends on Facebook and Twitter and we know a lot of them have party businesses. We would love to support them and their party efforts. If we got an invite from an old friend, we would certainly take a look at the catalog and see if there were some items we desired to have. It wold be understood that shipping would be a bit but it worth it to support good friends.

We would love to see photos of your (social media) home parties!!

If you missed our Radio show where we go into more detail you can listen here!

Charlotte and Jody

www.HomePartyPlanningBusiness.com

“Where it’s not just about the Destination, it’s the Journey to get there”

Social Network

I saw the movie social network and so many business ideas came to my head. It's amazing how one event can change your life.

Even when I put them down on paper and tried to execute them their seems to be something missing. Where am I dropping the ball? I've discovered that it's taken 1 year for me to talk about my business and network before I could build trust with others. More than anything it was having people take me seriously.

As I move closer to 2011, I am also closer to having my business grow double. It's not easy being a business woman.

As History Repeats Itself

Do you think it's possible for your kids life to play out just just like it did for you? It's odd, I see so many of my personality traits in my children without having imposed any on them. Its just their nature to be who they are. I've done some corky things as a child, like cutting my hair, dying my clothes and even cutting my finger on the gears of a bike, don't ask!

I feel more prepared to be a mother now because of everything I've experienced in life. I'm able to anticipate and help my children be better friends because of what I've experience.

So as history repeats itself before your eyes, listen....listen to what your children are saying and pay attention to the signs around you. Help your kids make the right decisions for them, not you.

I'm wiser because of what my children have taught me.

Save Me

On June 18th I closed on our house and boy has it been one GIANT rollercoaster ride since. From landscaping, crooked door frames, too much landscaping, too little grass and way too many ANTS. I think the government should give me back not only my tax credit but a few more thousand for therapy. :)

Needless to say, we have our own house and even though we will be living in it fairly soon, it'll be an ongoing project for LIFE. I look forward to the planting, growing a vegetable garden, decorating and just relaxing on my own porch.

Owning your own home just puts you in a different mind set. It's a sense of accomplishment. It wasn't easy, months and months of planning and saving but we finally are here.

WE DID IT!
-Dora the Explorer

Waiting....waiting....and more waiting

Why do we constantly wait to make things happen for ourselves? I watch myself wait to see others succeed and by then it's too late for me. I've seen myself try new things all the time and I get so excited about them and then boom....I hit rock bottom. I loose interest in things so quickly when they don't work out the way I want them.

I find myself good at so many things, okay, I know that sounds a little self centered but it's true, if you give me the right tools I can do anything. But then there are those things that I am good at that I struggle with sometimes becuase others can't be happy for my own success. I'm talking about thos negative people that make us doubt ourselves and make us WAIT. There is that word again.

I'm successful in life because I've learned to not wait. I've learned to stop listening to all those negative people that question my ability to succeed or don't understand what I do with my life. Especially those that constantly want to think they are living their best life forward but have to constantly remind you of your mistakes from five years ago. Why? Why do we have to wait in our pitty puddles from five years ago until we can step out and stand up tall.

So I'm going to stop waiting for things to happen because I have to make things happen now. No one else can do that for me. I'm going to make things happen for myself, I am the keeper of my own destiny.

Letters to Juliet

I went to see Letters to Juliet last night with my 13 year old daughter and I felt like I was a young 15 year old all over again. I felt butterflies in my stomach, that nervousness when you saw your first crush and that hope that your crush would rescue you on a white horse.

The movie talked about WHAT IF, what if I never took that risk to tell someone I loved them? What if I wasn't a good daughter? What if I was cold and distance from my husband? And the movie made me think of my grandfather and cousin that passed away a little bit over a year ago.

I don't have any What ifs in my life because I have always tried living my best life forward. I didn't get to talk to my grandfather and cousin often but when I did I always told them how much I missed them, how much I remember our summers as kids and how much I loved them. I don't have any What Ifs with the people in my life because I know that I cannot change people. I can only live the best life that I can and hope that as I continue to grow as a person people will see that and want to change too.

Seize the moment and address the what ifs in your life. Make things right starting now and live your best life forward.

Is it Ignorance?

Wikipedia says that Ignorance is where someone or something is uninformed. This should not be confused with being unintelligent, as one's level of intelligence and level of education or general awareness are not the same.

I use the word ignorance sometimes and it never dawned on me how many people really don't know what it means or people are offended because they feel its a strong word. I never used the word to reflect the lack of intelligence or education but merely that in the heat of the moment, ignorance is the lack of awareness of your surroundings. It's even the lack of awareness of what you say or do to hurt others.

If you know me I'm passionate about family and friendship. I didn't have the most conventional life growing up, I was sheltered from a lot of family members in my life. My parents never made the effort to really form a bond with others for reasons unknown to me, even to today.

The one thing I decided long ago was that I would never shelter my children from being surrounded from family members. I vowed that we wouldn't be ignorant as my parents were when they didn't offer to open the door to a last minute visitor from family. That my kids wouldn't see their parents be ignorant when someone asked to come over and just hang out. Or just be ignorant when it came to their own selfish reasons.

In life we cannot be ignorant. We have to be aware of our surroundings and always know what we can do to live right by ourselves and those that look up to us. So I challenge you to take the blinders off, be open minded, be FLEXIBLE, be aware, be positive, be an example, be aware of your surroundings and rid Ignorance from your life.

Winning doesn't mean you really won

I had the privilege of watching my daughter's volleyball game last night and tonight. Sports just are not what they use to be in my time. I think I was much wiser beyond my years back in the 90's. I was in awe at how mature children are, how they motivate each other, how they really bond for a common cause and how they have the spirit to win.

Today my daughter's team lost, but they came in third. They were so proud of their win, so proud of their final game and they had such a spark in their eyes. One of the opponents coach had such a sour attitude when our team started to really push. He started trying to call everything my daughter's team did and even though they won on a technicality we still won.

Sometimes winning emotionally is a far greater win than winning something materialistic. The girls knew they had worked hard as a team and had done right by each other, so winning 3rd place was just like winning 1st.

I felt sorry for the opposing coach because he didn't have that spark in his eye, he seem to have more of a chip on their shoulder and the things that some of those parents were saying. It's amazing how judgmental parents can be and not even know they are corrupting their own children.

I took it upon myself to address the coach after the game and tell him that his conduct was borderline misconduct and he should be embarrassed. I also told him that he should watch his attitude and body language because he shouldn't do anything that he doesn't want on the 10 o'clock news.

So the morale of my blog today, do right by others and you'll always come out winning, even if it isn't a gold medal.

May 13, 2010

Today I decided to start a blog to help others that are going through a rough time, either it be physical, emotional or maybe just need a pat on the back. I keep running all sorts of business ideas in my head, how can I win the lottery or how can I even just get things moving in the right direction. What I didn't realize was that I have everything I need right in front of me. I'm not taking things for granted, I just stopped living my best life right now because I felt the urge to want more. Face it, I got greedy with my life.



So my first piece of advice, evaluate your life right now. Let's do some spring cleaning of all our emotional baggage. Make a checklist of all the things that are going on in your life right now, what do we need, what don't we need and what can we do less with.



The need to want more than what we have can be self destructive. Maybe you want that 40 thousand dollar car but you have responsibilities that your trying to ignore. Well buy yourself that four door sedan that cost less so you can get your life organized. Swallow your pride and do what's RIGHT! Be responsible and start moving in the right direction.



We're taught that without money we have no future. In reality we don't have a future if we don't get an education or take initiative to pursue what makes us happy. The reward will come to us if we take baby steps, nothing happens overnight.

What will you do to turn a new leaf starting today?