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Premier Jewelry Update

2012
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It’s been a month since Ella and I started our Premier Jewelry business and we have been enjoying ourselves tremendously. To date, thanks to our wonderful hostesses, we have conducted 10 shows and had the pleasure of introducing the Premier opportunity to two great ladies. Thanks to Premier’s amazing hostess program, we have given away over $3,200 in FREE JEWELRY! As jewelers, we have earned over $1,000 in free jewelry (this is addition to getting paid). The more I read, and the more I become immersed in this business, the happier I am with our choice to align with Premier. Imagine our excitement when we received the quarterly newsletter in the mail and saw my name as one of the top 20 training shows in the nation for the month of July! It’s fun to be recognized!


 Ella is THRILLED with her earnings, she’s made over $300 in a month! We opened up a checking account for her and she is starting to manage her own finances. Her commission is 10% of wholesale, or 5% of retail and she earns it at every show by setting up, presenting a few pieces, and packing everything before we leave.


 I have watched my sweet girl blossom into a savvy business woman, and every time she presents in front of a group of ladies, my heart swells with pride. Her self confidence has grown by leaps and bounds. Her understanding of sales has exploded. Her willingness to serve others has also grown. Before every show I remind her: you have the heart of a servant, just like Jesus.


 And even if we never made a penny, the experience thus far has been PRICELESS. I am so grateful that God presented Ella and I with this opportunity to work together.


Here are just a few of the reasons I love Premier:
~ No quotas or minimums, work as much or as little as you would like!
~ No deliveries (jewelry is collated and sent directly to the hostess)
~ Paid the night of the show
~ Set your own schedule
~ 50% commission
~ No required inventory, just your own jewelry!

As a disclaimer, I decided to fill my schedule as quickly as possible to save money for our homestead. I have met ladies that like to schedule 4 shows a month just for some extra income. Either way is acceptable and fun! Let me know if you’d like to learn more, I truly believe this is a fantastic opportunity for anyone! heatherjl@gmail.com

Filed Under: Kiddos

Why Premier Designs? Why now?

2012
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Last week I announced on Facebook that Ella and I have started selling Premier Jewelry. I recognize that this is a bit out of character for me, so I’d love to share how this story unfolded.

The short answer? I’d like to save extra money for the new house that we are building. We (mostly) have the financing worked out for the house, but my concern is that we’ll move in and not have any money for landscaping. Essentially, I can almost picture a house being plopped down on the photo below with dirt and stumps everywhere.

My choices were to increase the number of weddings that I photograph, or find something else entirely. I LOVE my brides and I LOVE weddings, but I’ve refined my business over the years and I’m at the perfect spot with regards to the number of weddings that I document per year. I never wanted to be a wedding a factory. And Weddings by Heather will still be my primary focus, the nice thing is that I can control how often I book Premier shows.

I thought it would be fun to pick up something different, something I could use to save money in a separate account just for our new home.

My friend started selling Premier earlier this year, and then I would see things like this combination on the back of the catalog, and I thought… man, I’d love to get jewelry for free!

If you’re satisfied with the above info, then you can stop reading here. But, this turn in events does require some back story.

I have never been a fan of multi level marketing (MLM) and the nature of in-home shows. Why? I’m not sure, but I’ve really started to examine my thinking lately, and with lots of prayer, my mind has been changed, and my heart has been softened, FOR ME.

I just never thought this type of thing was for me… I have an established business, I love weddings/teaching and I’m typically as busy as I could possibly be.

I also had a bit of an attitude problem, I thought I was better than an MLM business. I thought that this was only for ladies who wanted to stay home with their children, not for an entrepreneur like myself.

Another problem I had: if I do well, my upline makes money from me. Why would I want to line her pockets? Or hers? Or hers? It was almost as if I thought (wrongfully) that I was the one sacrificing so that they could get a commission check. Well, for one thing, Premier pays them, not me (so it doesn’t come out of my check). And why do I care?? If my efforts help others, then what is the problem? Isn’t this what we are called to do?

Notice a trend in the last few paragraphs: me, me, I, me, I, I, me, mememememememe.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?? Not only was my thinking judgmental, but I was stubborn (a trait I loathe in others, but failed to see in myself).

I prayed, please Lord soften my heart, lead me, guide me with wisdom and discernment because I’m not quite sure where all of this is going.

One of my favorite praise songs is All This Time by Britt Nicole. Love this verse:

I hear these people asking me
How do I know what I believe?
Well I’m not the same me
And I saw the proof I need

Essentially, He changed my heart, and I know it’s His will because I don’t think I would have chosen this path. He gave me the heart of a servant, I feel differently about interacting with people and the feeling is amazing.

And He is a gracious God, because not only did he lead me this direction, but I’m able to include my daughter (she even earns a commission) and we love jewelry! God won’t give you something you hate. He blesses you with gifts and a passion for using those gifts, that’s why we all have inclinations towards certain things. What we so often fail to do is listen. Quiet your mind, be receptive, allow Him to work in you and you will be amazed with the results.

I’m not sure where this jewelry business will lead, but I do know that I will have the good fortune to meet new people, introduce them to the fantastic opportunity that is Premier. I respect this company because their core values are biblically based, they are debt-free and their model is to help and serve others. Spend some time combing the internet for information about them and you will find a consistent message. They really mean what they say, and they have absolutely changed the lives of many, many women.

And let’s not forget the opportunity for jewelers and hostesses to earn FREE JEWELRY!! What could be better than that?!

Filed Under: Faith

Firewood

2012
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Whoa, the amount of firewood is staggering.

Dad drops a tree, cuts it up and then we drag the top(s) to the burn pile and stack the rest. Meanwhile, he’s onto the next tree! We could not keep up!

Accelerant may or may not have been used.
We gave away quite a bit of firewood, but stockpiled some for our outdoor, wood-burning furnace. This will be supplemental to our propane furnace. We are unable to get natural gas at our location.

Filed Under: Homestead

A Plea for Help

2012
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I had an incredibly busy May with my photography business (yay!), but surprisingly did not have any weddings (say wha??). This freed up our weekends to work on the homestead. In early May, I reached out to our friends and family asking for help clearing the woods. I accentuated the positive:

The perks:
FREE firewood! Tell your friends!
We will feed you.
Refreshments, including beer.
Smores!
Campfires.
Lifetime hunting pass.

And downplayed the reality: very hard, hot, time consuming labor. And sometimes it was discouraging, just felt like we weren’t making ANY progress.
I received a bit of a luke warm response, and to be honest, it was a bit disheartening. And listen, I get it, everyone is busy, but we REALLY needed help and we never ask for anything!

So then I sent this photo, and I think it worked.

We had a few friends and family members help, but I would really, really like to thank the following:

  • Jeff and Joanne
  • Uncle Joe
  • Kris
  • Mike & Beth
  • Matt & Chrissy
  • Frank, Chrissy & Aunt Nancy
  • Uncle Rich & Aunt Wendy
  • Jim
  • And Travis and Lennie (friends from church) for offering their support by using their chainsaws to cut trees and haul firewood

Considering I have nearly 1,700 friends on Facebook (I meet a lot of people at weddings), I think I need to work on my recruiting skills!

Filed Under: Homestead

The Clearing Begins

2012
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We started at the beginning of April with a task that seemed insurmountable. We had to clear/burn brush, cut down trees, clear trees, move trees, cut more trees, clear more brush, etc.

It began with a new pair of cute work boots from Tractor Supply (my new favorite store).


 Well, actually it began with a new toy to access the property. There was a logging trail that wound its way up the mountain, but only dad’s truck could make the trek.

Ok, ok. Technically it began with a crazy man and his chainsaw. He drops trees like it’s going out of style. But he fails to yell timber… so… if you are helping us in the woods, please be very aware of his presence. And if you see him walking around with his chainsaw looking up towards the sky, he’s eyeing up a tree. Move.

 We marked the approximate location of the house.

 We didn’t realize how wonderful it was working in April when it was cool and things were not yet in full bloom. Kinda wish April had about 160 more days.

Filed Under: Homestead