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Vendor events – part 2

Mar 25th, 2012 by

I am curious and hoping to learn something new today. As you may know, I’m with Tealightful. This article, therefore, is primarily aimed at other direct sellers. So tell me, how do you work as a vendor?

How much are you willing to pay to participate in an event as a vendor? How much is too much to participate?

Do you sell products off your table, take orders or both? Cash, check, credit cards?

What are you sharing at these events — your business opportunity, products or both? What kind of information do you send people away with? When do you follow-up? How do you collect the contact information?

Do you successfully book shows at vendor events? And by “successfully” I mean the shows hold. How far out do you book these shows? How often do you contact this host to insure the booking holds?

Do you have giveaway items on your table — flyer, pens, keychains, samples, that sort of thing? If you do, how much do you spend on these items?

What about a door prize drawing at your table? What requirements do you have to qualify for the prize? What do you include in your prize package? In general, what is the retail value of your door prize?

How do you judge that your experience has been a success? How do you decide that this is an event you would participate in again?

I’ll go grab a cup of tea and wait to hear from you.  Make it a great day.  Health and abundant happiness!

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Vendor events – part 1

Mar 24th, 2012 by

Recently I’ve been thinking about vendor events.  I’m starting to get back into my tea business and I enjoy being part of vendor events for a few different reasons.

I love sharing samples of my teas with other tea drinkers.  We have so many wonderful flavors at Tealightful, some of them custom blends.  We are about to launch several strawberry summer teas and also recently added Bananas Foster tea. Dessert in a cup without all the calories — I love this idea.

Vendor events give me a chance to meet new people. With all the time I’ve spent on family over the last year or so, it is a pleasure to get outside my own world and talk with and about other peoples’ lives for a change. I admit that when I first started doing vendor events, this is one of the things that terrified me – approaching and talking with complete strangers. I just jumped into the experience with both feet and found that it really wasn’t so bad. And most people are easy to talk with.

I really love vendor events because I get to meet the other vendors. It’s great to talk with others about their businesses, learn their challenges, their solutions. It is usually a casual, easy-going learning environment. And, of course, the shopping is great.  Many of the events I’ve participated in over the years have been to raise money for various groups.  It’s good to be able to help others while helping myself.

How do you feel about being a vendor?  I’d love to hear from you about this. Drop me a comment while you enjoy your next cup of tea.  Health and abundant happiness.

 

 

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Back to work

Mar 7th, 2012 by

It’s almost time to go back to work.

You would think I’d be excited.  I love my job selling Tealightful teas so much — the teas are excellent and the blends interesting, the scones are the best I’ve had out of a box, and the cremes are simply divine.

Yet I hesitate to jump back in too quickly.  I have disappointed my customers so often over the past 18 months.  Promises made then repeatedly broken.  Many have chosen to go elsewhere for their products and I can’t blame them for that.  As a customer for other products I know how disappointing and aggravating this can be. For these reasons, I have seriously considered giving up my business several times recently.  I can’t bear the thought of going down this road again.  This is not who I want to be.

But I haven’t given up yet.  With the encouragement of my friends and family, I’m taking tentative steps to get back to work.  This weekend I’m doing an event for the first time in a long time.  It’s called Ladies Day Away.  I’ll get the chance to start learning all my new products and meet new people.  I’ll get to introduce some people to the variety of teas that are available and surprise quite a few with how delicious a healthy drink can be.

Yes, I’m a little excited about getting back to work.  I can still see the potential I have with this business.  And I’m more than ready to start working again.

I hope you’ll feel free to stop by anytime.  The tea’s always on.

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Seeking balance, rediscovering happiness

Mar 5th, 2012 by

After spending my time doing just one thing for over a year, it’s time to get some balance back in my life.

How much time do I give my mom now that she’s settled in here?  How much do I dedicate to the tea business I love, Tealightful, on hold for over a year? How do I find the time I want with my husband, the love and rock in my life?  And what about “me” time?

I have a plan.  I’m scheduling a couple of days each week to visit with my mom. This gives me definite time for my own activities.  It’s not quite working, but that’s improving.

As for me, I try to meet a friend each week for breakfast.  Lis has been on my calendar for some time and I’m grateful; she’s kept me sane.  Once a week I meet with my personal trainer, Christine, who gives me a great workout.  She’s a good listener too, like my ballroom dance instructor, aka my aerobics instructor, Phil.  The physical activity helps with life’s stress.  Oh, and it’s fun too.

I’m reconnecting with my direct selling friends, my GAB Group. These women have continually encouraged me in my business.  So many times that I wanted to quit, they’ve kept me going.  Thank you, ladies.

And happiness…I’ve rediscovered that it’s a state of mind.  I need only to decide that I’m happy and I am.  Easier said than done sometimes, but still true.

So grab yourself a cup of green tea just because it’s March — and it’s good for you. Decide to be happy.  Wishing you health and abundant HAPPINESS.

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What happened to 2011?

Mar 3rd, 2012 by

Oh dear me.  I popped in here to check on things and see that I’ve been gone since 2010.  2010 — how did that happen?  How did I spend more than a year of my life?

The truth is I’ve spent the past year or so dedicated almost entirely to my mom. From the previous posts, you can see I was moving her from her home of about 40 years to a new life near me.  I’ve spent most of the time I’ve been away from here either getting her settled into her new life or cleaning out the clutter from her old one.  And 40 years leaves behind a lot of clutter if we are not very careful.

My mother, God bless her, did not excel in housekeeping.  She is a real people person.  She loves being around other people, talking with them, helping in any way that she can.  That didn’t, and still doesn’t, leave time for such trivial tasks as cleaning.  Fortunately, she’s now living in a place where someone else takes care of all those things she’d rather not bother with — cleaning, laundry and cooking.  She’s made the transition fairly well.  I can hope to be as successful when I reach her age.

Me — I’m still recovering from over a year’s worth of travel and cleaning out someone else’s house, of dedicating so much of my time and energy to my former family rather than my own current family.  It’s been hard, tiring, frustrating, infuriating, rewarding.  The house is almost clean, freshly painted and ready to sell. In some ways, I’ll miss that house.  In most ways, right now I’ll just be tea-lighted to have all that behind me.  (Sorry, tea business joke and I couldn’t resist, I say with a smile.)

Please, if you have any hoarding tendencies at all, get help now — for yourself and for your family.  My brother and I were fortunate —  I had the time, and was willing to take it, to go through things at our mom’s house.  I’ve salvaged photos from around 1900 as well as a family bible from our great great grandmother.  I’m begging you — don’t let your treasured family history be lost because loved ones don’t have the time to clean up your mess.  The loss — of more than the things — is a heavy burden for your family to bear.

Let me step down off my soap box.  I am grateful to have my mom in a place that I know she’s being watched over and well cared for.  It’s a safe, comfortable place with new friends her age, her own furniture and things.  All things change.  It is the nature of life.  I’m looking forward to my next change — taking back my own life and living it with new perspective.  Perhaps it’s time to start cleaning out my own clutter.

Health and abundant happiness to all of you!

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Home

Sep 24th, 2010 by

I’m starting to think a lot about home.  I’ve been away from my physical home for some weeks now and am missing it.  Then I ask myself, what is it, exactly, I miss.

Do I miss the physical structure?  Sometimes; I designed our home myself and, though I now wish I’d had some professional help, it works well for our lifestyle.

Do I miss the landscape?  Yes.  I miss the shade trees, the blooming plants, the variety of shades of green across our lot.  I love it because of the care my husband devotes to it.  You can take the farmer away from the land, but you can’t get that need to work the land out of a farmer’s heart.  He is great with all aspects of our landscape.

Do I miss the weather?  This time of year, rarely.  I’ve had enough summer and am ready for some cooler weather, so not really on the weather.

Do I miss my two cats?  Definitely.  Alex is our old girl, around 18.  She’s not as spry as she once was and is losing her hearing.  She can still bring a smile to my face though.  And Sam, the male who adopted us about 7 years ago, is dog-like, but still definitely has a cattitude.  I often see Sam following my husband around the yard as plants, trims and waters.  Sam is the only true lap cat I’ve ever had and I love having him there.

What I miss most, though, is the companionship of my husband.  Each time I’m away I realize anew that what I told him once is true.  For me, home is wherever he is.  He said that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.  I’m glad.  And I’m happy that soon, I’ll be heading home.

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Half way there…and counting

Sep 22nd, 2010 by

It’s the middle of week two and we are half way to our move date.

It’s been a busy time for me.  Much of the preparation for the move is left to me.  My mother is helping, but she has low vision and it is often just quicker for me to evaluate and make some of the decisions.  I’ve been clearing out old papers and sorting those that need to be filed.  I’ve been emptying drawers and getting various pieces ready for the movers.  We’ve been in the kitchen selecting utensils, dishes, pots and pans.  So much to do.  And it’s been a long time since I moved into a place with nothing.  It’s hard to remember all the things you need to start a new home.

I’ve made a list.  I’m a great one for that.  So far I think I’ve covered most of the important things.  Incidentals like toilet tissue, paper towels, soap, bath towels, coffee cups and coffee (though I personally prefer tea), sheets for the bed and pillows are on the list.  I want my mother to start getting settled into her new place as soon as possible.

So, a few more days of preparation for me then my brother arrives with all the packing boxes and the next phase will begin.  Final decisions will be made.  As we get closer, I can see the strain of leaving her old life behind is wearing on my mother.  I hate it for her.  And, as my brother has said, I don’t see any other way to deal with it except to push on through it.

Soon a new life begins.  We’re half way there…and counting.

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Everyone needs a break

Sep 16th, 2010 by

How are you feeling today?  I need a break.

Although I’ve only been working with my mom for about a week on her upcoming move, it seems much longer.  So much emotion involved in reducing a full, long life to a couple of rooms.  And so much of her life to turn through to make those important decisions.

Most interesting to me is that she doesn’t seem to want to be the one to make those important decisions.  Sure, some come very easily to her — definitely this piece of furniture, definitely these pictures.  But so many of the decisions that I would want to make if it were my life, she defers to me.  And I’m uncomfortable with that position.

My values, and what I value, is different from her values and what she values.  Sometimes that means she’s quite unhappy with the decisions I make.  Yet, even when I give the decision back to her, she won’t accept responsibility to make a different choice.  This confuses me.

And frustrates me.  And sometimes makes me angry.  And I wonder if there’s something going on that I just don’t understand.

So I take a deep breath, clear my mind, lower my voice, and start again.  I am constantly asking God to provide the right words and tone to make my point without making this transition harder for her than it already is.

With a couple more weeks before the move, I can see I need to take some time for myself.  Though she doesn’t understand now, I’m hoping that someday she will.  It’s hard, sometimes, being the daughter of a “people person” when I prefer my solitude most of the time.  I’m hoping she finds that she, too, needs a break.

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Preparing for the big move

Sep 13th, 2010 by

The decision has been made.  It’s time for my mother to move from her familiar surroundings to a new home much closer to mine.  Now the real work begins.

Now it’s time to start sorting and sifting through a lifetime of accumulation.  In my mother’s case, that’s mostly the last 40 years.  Forty years ago is the last time we moved and had the chance to clear out the chaff.  And my mother has been on the receiving end of many generous friends over these past 40 years.  They have constantly filled her home with plants, kitchen utensils of all sorts, furniture, knick knacks, and mountains of clothing.

Like the rest of us, my mother has her own personal collections of items as well.  These have varied with the stages of her career and personal life — papers, articles, books, magazines, china, crystal, shoes, and a variety of other objects.  We now face the task of setting priorities and deciding which of these many beloved treasures are important enough to carry forward into her new life.  And, which are ready for a new home.  Easier for me, quite a challenge for her.

How do you go about reducing a 3-bedroom, 2-bath lifetime into a one-bedroom apartment?  How much of your old life will you be required to leave behind?  How do you choose what’s really important to YOU?

These are the questions my mother and I are facing together.  So far, we seem to be making good progress.  Soon, though, the difficult decisions will come.  I’m just hoping to be the support system she needs to get through those, help her make decisions she can live with.  Someday it will be my turn.   And that’s the kind of help and understanding I’ll want too.

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Let’s talk tea

Sep 6th, 2010 by

I love tea.  I love it hot.  I love it cold.  I love it straight.  I love some teas with a little touch of sweetener.  I even love when tea is used as an ingredient in other foods.  I just love tea.

That’s probably how I finally ended up selling Tealightful Treasures teas and accessories.  I wanted everyone to learn more about tea.  And, in the process of tasting some of the thousands of blends available, find a few they could love too.

Here are a few of my Tealightful Treasures favorites.  Christmas Morning – a wonderful orange and spicy tea.  It brings back many childhood memories – of instant tea and Tang and spices (probably dating myself here).  As a child this was my only experience with teas other than the grocery-store bagged type and we only had this during the holidays.

Honeybush – straight-forward and delicious rooibos tea.  No need to add anything; just sip and relax.

Mim Estate Darjeeling – I love darjeeling teas, the champagne of teas.  I usually drink mine straight and caress the cup lovingly.

Royal Tea – Though I’m not a bergamot fan, this tea blend is different.  It’s rich flavor is laced every so lightly with jasmine and bergamot.  I inhale deeply and sip slowly, imagining I’m attending a royal tea.

Sunshine – If you love iced tea, you have got to try this one.  It’s a great summer tea – full of bright citrus flavors and definitely no sweetener needed.  Kids are crazy about this one, too.

My list wouldn’t be complete without Cocoa Kisses – all the decadence of chocolate without all the calories.  I’d only had chocolate tea once and fell in love at first sip.  If you’re looking for a great dessert tea or one to treat yourself, this would be an excellent choice.

Thank you for indulging me my love of teas.  Our Tealightful Treasures teas are starting to show up on the Tea Review Blog, with reviews from their panel members.  I encourage you to check them out.  When you find a tea you love or that intrigues you, you can link directly to my Tealightful Treasures website, place your order and have it delivered right to your door.

I see it’s tea time.  Grab yourself a cup and take a break with me.  Life is more wonderful with a cup of great tea.

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