Mixed

The past week has been filled with mixed emotions, mixed feelings and mixed results. Where do I even begin?

This time last week I was getting ready to go to my very first Tastefully Simple seminar. I was excited, but nervous and sorta dreading the whole thing.

Thursday morning I was all packed and ready to head out at noon. My mom called me at about 9:30 that morning and told me that a friend of ours was killed in a car accident early that morning. He was parked, sleeping, on a county road that doesn't have a ton of traffic and was rear-ended by a logging truck. I was heartbroken, but had already paid all this money and committed to going to the seminar. By the time we left at noon, I was calmed down somewhat anyway. Of course it was in the back of my mind the whole entire time I was gone.

Thursday night we got down there around 8 or so. We went to dinner, had a couple drinks in the room and went to bed around 11:30. Not bad! Friday morning we got up and got ready, went to breakfast, relaxed in the room a little bit and went to the seminar. It was fun. We learned about the new products that are coming out for spring/summer and a bunch of other stuff. We got to sample things, which was so nice to be able to do. That night we had drinks again, then drank in the room again. Got to bed pretty late, especially considering breakfast started at 7:30 a.m.

Made it to breakfast, which was pretty good even though they billed it as "continental". There was a really good veggie egg bake involved, though. Started day two of seminar and it was going well. Then our president, founder and CEO showed up. It was SO exciting to hear her speak! AND I got to meet her in person and pose for a picture with her! There are many, many consultants who have not done this still, but she asked for the people who were a consultant for 6 months or less and I was one of them. However, upon meeting her she asked me what my goals were. I had been thinking about that over the last day or so, while listening to other consultants share their success stories, and thinking that there is no reason I can't succeed in this company. All I have to do is set my mind to it. SO, I told her that my goal is $1,000 in sales a month. That's really just four parties, and I know I can do that. I just have to get on the phone and do some calling. I have committed myself to doing that tonight, tomorrow night and Thursday night before I leave on my trip. I'm hoping to get some parties booked for March as well as get some re-orders of fall/winter items that will be getting retired on March 8. I know this all sounds a little out there, but really, how many large companies' CEOs just drop by and want to meet consultants? How many direct sales companies are debt free?? We are and that's got to say something about our company. SO, friends, I'm asking you if you'd like to check out any of the fall/winter and regular line products on our website (http://www.tastefullysimple.com/) and if you see anything you think you may like, don't hesitate to contact me to order. I do have a personal website on there, too, but the shipping is higher than if you contact me directly. No pressure here, but I'm just so excited about this right now that I can't help but share it with you if at all possible! If you have any questions at all about any products, please contact me also.

SO! That was the wonderful experience I had at seminar. I'm SOOO happy I went.

Then I got back to Gully late Saturday night. Everyone was in foul moods and I was sober. Sunday was a sleepy day, I really slept like 70% of the day and I wasn't even hung over. Musta been really tired! Monday was the funeral, and let me tell you, it was the hardest funeral I have ever experienced (with the exception of my dad's). His mom was so distraught I barely recognized her. The whole thing was a terrible thing to witness. My mom is having such a hard time because she's such a mothering type, and he was a regular in the bar for years. He was 34 years old. He leaves two kids under the age of 10. Absolutely heart breaking.

Yesterday was not a fun day at all. I got to work around 3:00 and attempted to work. I wasn't very successful.

Today is a new day, though. Ryan wouldn't want us sitting around bawling constantly. He was a guy who really LIVED life and that's what he would want for all his friends and family. In fact, I heard his dad say to his mom yesterday, "You know what Ryan would tell you? He'd tell you to buck up." And that's so true.