Ah, Wednesday’s Woman has returned! Thank you for your patience during the break. Today I am happy to bring you a fellow lover-of-words, Trisha Priebe. And now, here is Trisha in her own words…
Category Archives: Dreams and Goals
Little Warrior
I am honored to have my Twitter buddy @OMum22 as our guest for the Growing up with Autism series today. Also known as Deanne, she’s been a great encouragement to me. Join in her celebration today…
When Jenny asked me if I would like to write something about the achievements one or both of my boys had made lately, I jumped at the chance. Then I realized that unless she wanted me to write something the length of War and Peace, I’d have to do some winnowing! Both Oliver and Owen have been making such huge strides lately that I agonized for a while over what to write about – so many good stories, so many things that make me both smile and feel so proud.
I decided to focus on Owen because Oliver’s gains are easy to see, while Owen’s are more subtle but in many ways, much more profound. Please indulge me for a moment as I tell you a little about Owen. Continue reading
A Marriage Workout
When I opened the electronic file for this month’s Gabby Mom product review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine, I saw it was a bunch of ebooks on marriage, two back issues of the magazine, and some audio. “No sweat,” I thought. “I’ll get this knocked out quickly. Shouldn’t be too much to read.” With that, I closed the email and went on to the next item in my inbox.
You know what? I was wrong! Lorrie Flem, the publisher of the magazine, stuffed a whole marriage workshop into those ebooks and audio files–over 350 written pages and over two hours of listening! Whew! What a workout! Continue reading
Bad Days
Connie had some good advice for us yesterday. I wanted to share something with you, because I think it fits nicely with what Connie had to say. Continue reading
>Beauty & the Beast
>
OK, pretend for a moment that I’m Beauty, and my life is Beast. That would make Shelley Molitor my Mrs. Potts, if we’re going by the Disney movie version.
Back in November former Wednesday’s Woman Shelley Molitor announced she was going to do a giveaway for a Family Manager consulation and service! Now, some of you know me personally and know that managing my home can be a challenge for me. I’m not the worst, but I’m definitely not the best.
Add to the mix that I’m in a 950 square foot apartment without a storage area with 3 boys (preschooler, kindergartner, husband), you begin to get the picture. In addition, prior to having children I’ve been pretty successful in life without being very structured or too much of a planner. Hmmm…you can see the Beast growing, can’t you?
So, when I saw the contest I really wanted to enter, but I was afraid of her questions! Where was I? Where did I want to be? Why should she choose me? Those are pretty intimidating questions for a woman who has a hard time answering things like that and has been letting the piles in her bedroom get bigger and bigger!
I got the courage to lay it on the line, enter, and some weeks later, I won! OH NO! Don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad for this chance, but NOWI HAVE TO CONFRONT MY LIFE!
Before I tell you more, I want to let you know that I told Shelley because of some business and personal things I had going in January I didn’t want to start anything new until February. I don’t want any of you wondering why she hasn’t gotten my butt in gear faster. It was per my request.
Do you know what she made me do? She made this people-pleasing, rule-following first born who hates making decisions FILL OUT A SURVEY about my life! The survey broke life down into 7 areas: property management, financial, food, self-care, relationships, and special events. (I have to say, I’m so tickled I remembered them all that quickly!) I had to say what my dream home would be like, what my home was like now, rate stressors, and prioritize! Whew, it was hard work!
Next Shelley scheduled a phone call so she could clarify my answers and make sure she understood where I want to go. Oh boy. This is getting way too, um, real. I have to explain things! I am going to have to explain the piles in my room, the way I feel about life, the way I feel about toys!
You know what? Shelley was very kind. She encouraged me that I was doing many things right already. Wow! Personally, I often think about all the things I don’t do right. I don’t really think that I’m doing a lot of things right. I cannot tell you how her comments made me feel. Well, I guess I can. It made me feel happy. I felt like maybe I can turn our home around and make it the welcoming, comfortable place I want it to be.
During our phone call we had to prioritize the way I wanted to work on things based on what’s most important to me. Shelley even put some things on the “back burner” to be worked on later so I don’t feel overwhelmed. That’s pretty cool. (I know, that’s really slang, but it’s true!)
What’s next? Shelley is in the process of making my action plan. Hmmm…the fear returns when I think about that! I can feel a panic under the surface, fighting to turn into a full-fledged panic attack. But you know what? I’m trying my hardest to remember how kind and encouraging Shelley has been, and that she’s here to help me.
So, while I’m waiting to see Shelley’s plan, I’ve been slowly taking a few things here and a few things there out of my bedroom and throwing them away. My bedroom is the hiding place when company comes over and the place things go when I don’t know what to do with them. Since Greg and I determined the family area was more lived-in and more important to fix first, the bedroom got put on one of those back burners. Today I filled a garbage bag of junk from the bedroom and THREW IT OUT! That felt really good.
If you have never been to Shelley’s blog, Established Ways, I highly recommend you start following it! Most of her posts are short-and-to-the-point, but encouraging just like she is. Some of them are brilliant even! You can read this post to see how she plans to blog a different topic for each Monday through Friday. You may even want to contact her about getting your own Family Manager coaching session!
>Review: The Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home Based Business
>Calling all entrepreneurs! Yesterday I introduced to you Laurie Neumann and her niche–helping people start a business. Today I have the privilege of reviewing for you the e-book she sent me, The Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home Based Business. Actually, it’s not just an e-book. It’s a book PLUS many extra reports and tools! You will find an exclusive discount at the end of this review.
One of the first things I noticed about Laurie’s book, The Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home Based Business, is the word successfully added to the title page of the e-book. What a great start–hope for success! The next thing I noticed was how organized it is. Laurie gives you a fantastic Table of Contents to let you know what is coming, and then starts off with character traits people need to be successful running their own business from home. Beginning there means Laurie has put a lot of thought into the entire process of starting a business, and she wants to help others do the same.
Having been in home business for seven years, I can vouch for the wisdom of the process Laurie takes her readers through. It is calculated and careful. Her process guides you into finding a business that you will love and that will bring profit. I am also simply amazed at the amount of information and guidance she packs into her book! Laurie does not waste any words. Her entire book is helpful. It would take her readers hundreds of hours to do this research on their own.
The Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home Based Business is extremely practical. You will want to roll up your sleeves, so to speak, and get to work completing the assignments Laurie gives you to help you work through starting the best business possible. She also gives you brainstorm lists and ideas of her own to get your mind thinking about possibilities. The guide is full of examples so you can understand exactly what Laurie means as she is teaching you. Additionally, Laurie’s book covers more than just deciding which business to start. She takes you through building an online presence, various ways of marketing your business, starting an affiliate program, and more!
Finally, Laurie approaches starting a business from a biblical perspective. She encourages her readers to consider how God has gifted them and to ask God for guidance. Laurie sprinkles verses throughout her book to show God’s perspective in various areas. This encourages the reader to be wise.
If you follow Laurie’s well-planned guidelines AND work hard, you will indeed be successful at starting your own home-based business. The great news is that Laurie is offering Many Hats Mommy readers a discount! This information-packed resource retails at $47. However, you can follow this link to a special ordering page created exclusively for you and order the package for $39.95 when you order by December 24th! This would make a fantastic Christmas gift for someone you know that has been considering starting a business, or even for yourself!
Our special page allows you to order the package at a discount, but here is a reminder of what you receive in addition to the e-book:
You will receive 6 interviews with Christian home business owners!
Plus, these bonuses:
- A Checklist for Christian Would-Be Business Owners
- Ways to Earn Some Fast Cash (so you have money to start a business)
- Obstacles and Solutions to Starting a Home Business report
- The Top 5 Questions Answered about Starting a Home Business report
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Guide to Direct Sales Success by Kelly McCausey
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Make Money with EBay by Kelly McCausey
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30 Writing Tips for eBook Authors by Jimmy D. Brown
- Website Makeover and Conversion Strategies
- 21 Email Marketing Strategies by Alice Seba
- Marketing! Learn to Love it! by Laurie Neumann
- The Balanced Home Office by Jim Erksine
- Getting Your ACT Together by Stephanie Buckwalter
- From Turmoil to Thriving by Susan Scott
- 10 Free Ways to Get Traffic to Your Website
- So be sure to click here to take advantage of Laurie’s wisdom and your discount!
>Joan Horner, a True Role Model
>I hate to say it, but sometimes it seems like role models are gone these days. Maybe not. Maybe it’s just the really gracious role models are a rare breed. Joan Horner, the co-founder of Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry, was a gracious and truly inspiring role model who made you want to aspire to be better. She passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2010. I have decided to make her a Wednesday’s Woman.
In addition to being an amazing business woman, Joan was a wife and mother who took those jobs seriously. She was a kind friend, an excellent speaker and writer, a baseball enthusiast, and someone who made you feel important.
In the summer of 2007 I almost didn’t go to Premier’s national Rally (conference) in July. I did, and on the last day, at the last drawing, Joan drew my ticket to win the entire line of new jewelry. This was in the amount of thousands of dollars. I could not believe it! I made my upline, who sings at these conferences, take me backstage to find Joan so I could thank her. I was pregnant with my second son and was such a blubbering mess that I could hardly say “thank you” to Joan. She probably wondered what was wrong with me! My upline explained, and Joan graciously gave me a hug and congratulated me.
In 2009 I sent Joan a note with a picture of my youngest draped in jewelry he had gotten into while I was training another jeweler. She sent me back a handwritten note thanking me for the picture. She explained that she added his picture to her wall of Premier kids. All of these children were precious to her. They were the reason she started Premier!
Another jeweler shared this tribute by Dave Burchett, a television sports director and public speaker. I was touched to read such sweet words from someone outside the Premier family. Inside Premier Designs most of us knew how special Joan was. But to read an “outsider’s” perspective was wonderful. This made me decide to go on a scavenger hunt and see if I could find anyone else who was leaving tributes about Joan on the worldwide web. Now, as I write that, it seems rather ironic since Joan was always imploring us jewelers to “keep it personal.” She encouraged us to step away from technology to make people feel special and important. However, I don’t have the funds to travel the world hunting for Joan’s friends, so this will have to do.
I didn’t find much out there from people who weren’t jewelers, at least not in the first ten pages of search results. I did find this article by the Direct Selling Association from when Andy and Joan were inducted into the DSA Hall of Fame. I think this says a lot about both of them. My guess is that if I were to do this search after Joan’s memorial service this Saturday I might find more.
Finally, you can read a note from Joan’s family here. One who didn’t know Joan may be tempted to think it’s sugar-coated. It’s not. Everything this note says is true.
This leads me to the end of my post and the beginning of yours. If you’re reading this, and you were somehow touched by Joan’s life, would you be so kind as to pause a moment and leave a comment? It can be short or long or anywhere in between. Just take a moment and share how Joan influenced your life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Thank you.
