A Trip Down The Rabbit Hole...

For those of who read my blog, I am sorry it's probably a little confusing, this blog for me has been a bit of a brain dump. I write what I want to write about and it is interesting to see who reads which posts. I have techie posts, girly posts, random posts, and even frustrated posts there are some people who read all of them, and then those that gravitate to what suits their particular tastes. I may one day split this into two blogs but we will see if and when that happens.

I initially embarked on The Get Smart Blog for research, to observe the intricacies of using blogging as a business tool. I have written articles, used video marketing, written a blog all for my mortgage business so I know how blogs add value in the real estate world, but I needed to see how it worked out in the less industry specific realm. I have had so much success using technology and the Internet in my business that I started a consulting company teaching others how to do it. I am an emotional person, as you saw in the Wrath post, but I am also a very analytical person and for me I have to have a passion for something before I will take it on, then I have to reason out how it can be done.

So I am always watching and taking mental notes, thinking about how I can use the information coming at me, it can be a little exhausting at times. I am like a sponge and I always want more. I have books, T.V's., and notepads in almost every room of my house. I carry a digital recorder with me (that is no longer compatible with my computer because I have Vista-ridiculous) everywhere I go so I don't forget a great idea. I am a research nut, actually I just love to learn and then I get excited about teaching what I know to others. So embarking on the consulting path, I realize now, was a natural progression for me and something I love doing. What I didn't expect to really take to was blogging, for me a blog was a tool to be used to give depth, and increased exposure for a business, I honestly didn't think I would like it.

It really hit me this last weekend, I needed a break from my computer and a little human (in person) interaction, so after my post on Saturday I spent the rest of the weekend out. The weather was great here, met up with some friends, had breakfast at a great little cafe I love, coffee at another great little place. Went to a quaint local book store picked up some books, I did bring my computer to the coffee shop on Monday, but other than that I was computer free. Like I said before I like to observe, so sitting having my coffee I watch people and their interaction with each other, taking my little mental notes. The realization I came to was that there is more of a sense of community on the Internet then in the "real" world. As I sat there I noticed people were interacting but only in their comfortable little groups not with strangers, for the most part at least-there were a few people that struck up conversations with strangers next to them.

I am not excluding myself here, because I was either reading, listening to my iPod, or so busy watching that I wasn't developing lasting relationships either. I of course wasn't the only one playing research scientist, I think most of us like to people watch, so while everyone there was out in the community we were all in our own little worlds. I was so in my own little world, that when a girl approached me to ask me if I knew that the guy who just left was sketching me, I realized I had been oblivious to someone sitting 10 feet away me watching and sketching me. I had to laugh which made the girl laugh and started us talking, so I did meet a few new people this weekend.

Crazy as this sounds after looking at all of my posts, I am a very private person, and blogging requires you to open up and let people get to know you as an individual not as a business, while you in turn get to know them. Sharing "personal" ideas and experiences freaks me out a little bit but what is even more astounding is how easy it is to get caught up in it. I wasn't expecting to meet people, enjoy interacting with other bloggers, or to actually look forward to that interaction - I am still a little surprised by it all. In the mortgage business my blog was geared towards customers, prospective clients, strategic business partners, and the general public but not on a personal level more as an informational supplement to other marketing pieces. So the nerd in me is enjoying the depth and breadth of what a blog can be and the little extrovert-I didn't know I had in me-is enjoying the aspect of just throwing it all out there for the world to see. Finally, the part I am most enjoying is the sense of community in blogging, and the people I have met and continue to meet here. I have had a great time contributing to this blogsphere.

I love surprises and this whole experience has been a beautiful surprise, and because I am a smart ass I have to make note here that only a woman could rage one day and throw out a mushy post like this the next! So I want to thank you all for reading this crazy blog and I look forward to our future interactions....

So Cal Women of Arbonne

I had an opportunity to meet with some very interesting women on Friday April 18th, Beth, Julie, Trish, Shannon, and Wendi. This meeting came about because of my relationship with Shannon Blas. Shannon and I both work in the real estate industry, she is a Realtor and I’m the in-house lender. We initially met at a blogging class that was being put on for the Realtors in the office. I was scoping out the competition for my monthly tech class and Shannon was looking for additional marketing tools. From that meeting on we have kept in touch talking about our businesses, goals, frustrations, and motivations. In our talks we discussed her Arbonne business, ways that she could take her skills as a real estate professional and apply them to her Arbonne business, and how the Internet could be utilized to supplement her other efforts.

Since Get Smart Women was created to help women in any industry create, build, and innovate their businesses. I felt that Shannon’s group created an opportunity for me to see how my ideas could come to fruition in the world of multi-level marketing. Exciting, overwhelming, and invigorating those are the emotions that went through me as I jumped on to this undertaking. I was pleasantly surprised by the group, which I often am when I meet people in direct selling. These women are intelligent, charismatic, driven, and happy. You don’t find that in your average corporate office. The experience that these women have ranges from Corporate America to owning their own businesses to just starting out. I loved the energy and most especially the underlying motivation, which seem to be balance, family, and freedom.

The first time I heard multi-level marketing my initial thought was “oh God a pyramid scheme” and then “slowly back away, keep smiling, do not spook the crazy person, and now run Forest run.” A little extreme I know but that really was my initial reaction. Then I needed a marketing tool to blow my competition away and I stumbled on to a video service that, yes you guessed it, is a direct selling company. I signed up for the video product not the multi-level marketing, but I had to join on the direct selling side because I needed the increased server space for my video distribution. The crazy thing was that as I used the videos in my mortgage business I found that others wanted to use it. In helping them get the service I helped my mortgage business and I made a little extra cash on the video side. Wow pretty cool right, two bird’s one stone in action, who knew it could really work!

When I get involved in something I like to know as much about it as possible, so I go crazy with the research stuff. What I found really surprised me, you know that Rich Dad Poor Dad guy Robert Kiyosaki? Great book and very rich guy, surprisingly he wrote about network marketing aka direct selling in his book with Trump, Why We Want You To Be Rich. Why would a guy like that write about an MLM? Well read the book he will tell you why. Did you know that almost every kind of product has been sold through DSOs, including cosmetics, art, time management systems, tires, kitchen tools and appliances, lingerie, long-distance phone services, and computers. I could go on for days. It is amazing Direct Selling, which has morphed into network marketing and multi-level marketing, started at the turn of the century. MLM’s have created incredible wealth for companies and individuals in the U.S., we are talking billions, and now around the world yet most snub their nose at it. Kinda makes you wonder who is really smarter? Is it the house wife/stay at home mom selling Arbonne at girlie parties, driving the white Mercedes that the company pays for, or the corporate woman who never sees her family, is beholden to her employer, and struggles to make her expensive car payment?

Interesting isn’t it? Well we are going see how the So Cal Women of Arbonne manage their lives and their direct selling careers…how you ask? Well we have set up a blog for them at http://www.socalarbonne.blogspot.com/ and they have agreed to actively contribute. We will meet them see where they are at in their Arbonne journey, where they want to go with it, and how they do along the way. I am going to be that annoying outside observer, occasional contributor, obnoxious accountability partner, and you will see it all happen on our blog pages. Why take this on when I am so busy with absolutely everything else in my life and for free mind you, I normally charge for this service? Well the answer is that it helps me, it helps them, and it could help others. I can’t think of a better reason to do something…so stay tuned and give plenty of feedback.

Bookmark these sites to keep up with us:
http://www.socalarbonne.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegetsmartbolg.blogspot.com/
http://www.getsmartwomen.com/