Your Not Going To Get Far If Your Not Following Up - I Promise..




I remember my days as a MaryKay consultant.  Yes, I was a MaryKay consultant.  I learned so much from the nationals and directors. The one thing that stuck with me to this day is, the term follow up.  Back then, I was not the best sales consultant.  As I reflect on those days I now understand what was meant when the directors said, “the key to being successful in the business was to be consistent in following up.”  The reason I disliked following up was, I was afraid. I would tell myself, “What if she hangs up on you?” OR “What if she says no”? Granted these things can happen at times.  That leads me to another important lesson I learned in MaryKay that “No” means “NEXT”. Do not get hung up on someone saying NO! But getting back to my point, following up has been one of the main reasons I have gotten so far.   Was I afraid? Definitely. Was I nervous? Absolutely, but I did it anyway.  I picked up the phone and said, “Hi, this is Cemone with OOBW, we’re touching bases with you to make sure you received our email with the details you requested as well as answers to your questions,”. Sometimes it worked, other times people just hang up and to be quite honest I am OK with it.  When that happens, I say to myself, “She is not an Out of Box bride” OR “They’re not for me”.  What I have come to realize is that, not everything in business is going to be comfortable and sometimes we have to work through our fears.  Rejection helps to take you to the next level.  For me following up was a fear because I did not want to be rejected. I wanted my business to be successful, but, I was afraid to pick up the phone and speak to a complete stranger. Today, I am not afraid, it is a part of my business.  I realize the difference between having a new client or going out of business.   Today those fears have become triumphs. What’s holding you back in your business? What do you fear? Today I challenge you all to do more of what you fear until it’s no longer a factor. 

What I Learned During My Mini Vacation

   The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind!  My days were packed back to back and consisted of limited sleep and even some times limited food (only because I would forget to eat).  I needed a break. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it and planned to take a few days to hang out with my main guy, my son. Don't be misunderstood, I see my son every day, we have our lunches and mini bonding moments during my busy-ness; however, I wanted to hang out with him uninterrupted and away from everything.

  We packed our bags and took a little drive to the Boca Beach Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort.  What a lovely experience of just him and I! We went to the beach, we ate, and did a little sightseeing.  No format and no agenda. I came back recharged and ready to dive back into another busy, yet amazing wedding season. Even though I see my son everyday - What I loved was that I got to hang out with him and really see him...I can't put a price tag on that. It's worth far more to me than anything else in the world.

   As a single mompreneur, at times, I tend to get caught up with everything that is happening with the business first and then I revert to handling the basics when it comes to my mommy-ness: I make sure he eats, brushes his teeth, goes to swimming and so forth and so on, not necessarily in that order.  Occasionally, we'll go to lunch, dinner, see a movie. Although I'm physically in the house with him, I'm not really home.  I'm in my office dealing with clients, blog posts, marketing and all of that other stuff.  Sometimes it's difficult to switch from Cemone "Building an Empire" to Cemone "Making Dinner for Darius".  Nevertheless, I make it happen. I'm grateful for every part of my mompreneur journey, from having the opportunity to make my own decisions and the ability to take breaks when I think it is necessary. I answer to no one, and that's one of the best parts of it all. 

  I say all of this to encourage each of my busy single mompreneurs to take a day or two if you can; turn off the phone, computer, and all other gadgets and just hang out with your child/children.  They see us working, and sometimes they don't want to bother us because they know it's important, and it's their way of helping us.  Take my advice, take a break and enjoy the real loves of your lives.  I don't have to tell you this because you know it but it's worth it! 










July Feature: Mompreneur & Owner Of Making Malissa Blog



So excited to bring you this month feature - You're going to love this interview, she's funny and she keeps it real.  I love it!!  On her blog Making Malissa her aim is to motivate, inspire and support. She's a mom, mompreneur , entrepreneur and overall an inspiration. My favorite part of the interview is the love section and where she finds inspiration. What's your favorite piece?   Leave your comments at the bottom.  Don't forget to like her on IG and follow her blog.  CG 


Name:  Malissa
Name of Company: Making Malissa Blog
Years in Business: 7 Months

WHY: Tell us why you started your business/blog – etc: I started my blog because I was in the midst of a divorce and felt as if everyone around me, including family had abandoned me in my greatest time of need. I didn’t want anyone else to ever feel like I did, I felt so alone. So I began writing to share with others that they aren’t the only one going through tough times! I share my candid experiences and offer some lessons learned.






When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a veterinarian! (What girl didn’t want to hold cute, cuddly animals all day!

 What was your first business idea? I actually HATED writing before I began blogging. I never in a million years thought I would start a blog. A couple years ago, my big sister told me that I should do video blogging because I have a great personality and love to talk, lol. I also wrote a love letter to a guy back in the day and he told me that I need to be a writer one day…because my words resonated with him in a way he had never experienced. I was much too scared/embarrassed to do video blogs at first. I didn’t want to open myself to that type of criticism, so I started to write. Since then January, I have written 25 blog posts and uploaded 12 blog videos to YouTube! The sky is the limit.




What do you wish you knew before starting your business? The overnight success stories are BS! It is SO HARD to grow subscribers/followers to a blog. So, hard. Social media is a beast of its own when you use it for a business, just ask an It Works salesperson (I’m sure you have received a few of those sales pitches in your DM). I have recently realized, the more you hold back your quirky, dorky, blunt, honest personality…the longer it will take to get the recognition you deserve. Always, always be 100% yourself. For the things that are too controversial for FB or IG, I use Snap Chat for! It’s a great outlet.

What did you learn from your worse boss? I am in the military. I blog as a second full time job. The worst boss I ever had was someone I worked for a couple of years ago. I got hired into a job that was for two ranks higher than me. (I mean, I was the best at my job, I deserved it, I thought.)It was the worst year of my life. He was so hard on me. I was hardly ready to be put in such an important position with my lack of experience in that field. I was told I couldn’t do anything right…and rarely praised for the things I did do right. He micromanaged my work ethic and wanted me to act like someone I wasn’t and treat people as if they were beneath me. With the “tough love” he displayed, I learned to take criticism. I learned to let it in one ear and out the other. I learned the importance of keeping my work-space clean and organized. I stopped crying over being yelled at all the time. I really toughened up and was humbled. I needed that job.


 What’s your highest level of education? In the military, one of the perks is FREE SCHOOL! Early in my career, I really took advantage of it. I now have my associates in Criminal Justice. I could pursue a bachelors, but I honestly have no clue what I would want to get my degree in. Definitely NOT criminal justice…I find reading about the law to be extremely boring. I have put off school to do blogging. Many people probably think that it’s not a smart choice, but I don’t really care haha. Blogging is what I absolutely love and I know it will pay off in the future just as much as a degree would, if not more. The possibilities in blogging are endless, that’ what I love about it.  AND I HAVE to be my own boss when I get out of the military.

 Who inspires you and why? My readers inspire me. Some will reach out to me and share their personal heartbreaking stories. They are truly incredible. They keep me doing what I do. The group of readers that have inspired me the most are the young girls contemplating joining the military, especially Security Forces (my career field). There have been a couple girls that I have been friends with since I started blogging that have gone through basic training and are now in Security Forces Tech School. Being in a male-dominated career field can be brutal, so I started a secret FB group specifically as an outlet and support group for those girls and their friends. I want to show them how powerful a band of girls are in those types of environments. It’s so important to stick together and be there for each other. 

Top 3 books to read this summer? I HATE reading books ahahha. I fall asleep within the first two pages of any book I read. I’m pretty sure my breathing pattern changes and puts me right to sleep.
 

Let’s Talk About Business:
What was your strangest marketing experiment? My largest audience is males 18-25. Which is SHOCKING considering I’m a girl blogger. I try to cater almost every single article to women AND men. They are really appreciative of me including them in articles that involve parenting and divorce. Men have feelings too ya know!
How do you maximize social media? I use Facebook and IG the most. My Facebook page recently blew up overnight because I posted a short video of my thoughts about Pokemon a couple days after it came out. Because I was brutally honest and talked about a relevant light topic…thousands of people FLOCKED to my page.

 What did you learn from your biggest failure? There is always room for improvement and with every failure comes new strengths. I am appreciative of every lesson learned. It truly makes me a better person.

 How important is it for you to do your best? It is my main goal. I did my entire website by myself. I knew nothing about website design before blogging. Every single thing I do for my blog is self-taught. Video editing, photo editing, marketing, you name it! I try to master every single thing that comes my way. I am impatient and need everything to be perfect. I will stop at nothing to get something exactly the way I want it before it’s published. I think those things are the key to success. I am self-run, self-taught and self-motivated through one thing…..passion for what I do.

How do you feel about failures? What does it mean to fail?  Failure is necessary in order to be successful long term.

Any money saving tips? You got me there, nada! I am still waiting to see income rather than expenses!

 Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration through my son Caleb. He is what keeps the strong drive I have. I want to blog full time when I get out of the military. In order to do that, I must stay on it, every day with 100% effort in order for that to happen. Caleb deserves the best and I want him to see me working so hard and not ever giving up so he never does either. I tell him that he is capable of anything and he is stronger than he thinks…everyone is!

 As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you balance? I really don’t have a clue! I play every single day by ear and don’t really make a lot of plans. We just wake up and decide what we want to do. Caleb and I have SO much fun together. It doesn’t matter what we are doing…as long as we’re together. When he is with his dad during my work cycle, I blog. I saturate myself into my blog so much that before I know it, 4 days have passed and he’s back again! It’s a win-win.

 What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs / mompreneurs)? Don’t take your stress out on your kids! Instead of excluding them from your daily activities, INCLUDE them. Kids don’t have to play with toys to have fun. All they want is love and attention from their Mommies.

With the kids and other things happening in your life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/ study? Any moment I get. I don’t categorize my blog into a business. It’s a way of life. I have mastered including my son into almost every blogging thing I do. That way, I don’t feel guilty about “working” while he is with me. He is my sidekick and helps me with anything I need. We are a team…and in return, he gets his favorite mini Vanilla Bean Frappuccino!

LOVE:

What’s it like dating and being a single mom? The dynamic is TOTALLY different after being married. I guess I don’t put up with a lot of stuff that I would have in past relationships. The priority is no longer the guy, it’s Caleb and me. If their plans don’t 100% match what we have going on, BYE!

Challenges? I have trust issues from my past relationships. I have my guard up ALL THE TIME. I almost don’t trust my own instincts now…so everything is a red flag to me now. I have to protect myself and Caleb so in return it can cause a lot of heartbreak (on the guys part!). I am definitely not as open as I used to be, and it’s not really a bad thing. Guys have to have a lot of patience to earn my trust and prove themselves to me, if they aren’t willing to wait for that, then I don’t have time for them either!

 Other:

Sometimes you have to make tough decisions whether it’s personal, family, relationships or business. Do you ever feel misunderstood? Give examples or details. All the time. The decision to get a divorce was the number one thing people didn’t understand. I had to make a decision for 3 people. That seems really selfish. But I knew deep down that I was making the right decision because NONE of us were happy. My Ex finally admitted it to me about 6 months after we split. The decision to get a divorce was the ONLY decision I have ever made that went against the grain of majority of my friends and family, yet I was so set and confident in my decision. That’s how it knew it was right.

 How important would you say is having a support system? Who’s a part of your circle? I have 7 brothers and sisters. I talk to each one every 1-4 months. Some more than others. That just shows how close I get with people. I don’t really need very much support. I am very self-sufficient and independent. But, like every person…there are times when I just need a shoulder to lean on. In those times of need, all a person needs is ONE friend or loved one. It is so much more important to have a couple friends that genuinely care about you, that you only talk when you really need to…rather than a crap load of friends that you hang out with every day that will ditch you in a heartbeat to pursue their own agendas.

Have you ever felt judged being a single mother? How? When? Not really. It is so common these days. Also, my blog brings in a lot of positivity and support! My readers are awesome. They tell me all the time how good of a mom I am. Caleb is happy and that’s all that matters.

 What’s one thing you’d like all of us non single moms to know about single motherhood? I feel that it’s actually easier being a single mom because his dad and I weren’t compatible at all. We dated for 2 months before I found out I was pregnant. There was never a foundation. Getting a divorce was the best thing that ever happened to me.  I no longer have to live up to anyone else’s expectations other than Caleb’s. We eat dinner when/where we want…we do what we want…go where we want. I don’t have to worry about checking in or getting approval from anyone. I love it. It’s like a whole new sense of freedom. I do want to get married again someday, but I will make sure that the guy I’m with is my best friend first, lover second.

 Finally: Tell us how to find you:

FB Makingmalissa   IG Makingmalissa   Website: http://makingmalissa.com/

Tips For Building Partner Relationships - It's All About Relationships

      You’ll hear me say over and over again that when I started my business I wasted money on things I didn’t need and in some cases my business wasn’t ready. I didn’t have a coach or guide initially so anything that came my way and seemed interesting or profitable I probably tried it. I guess it's the shopaholic in me.  I recall joining a chamber chapter; now, there are many who’ve join chamber chapters and their businesses flourishes as a result.  For me I didn’t have that experience, I joined a local chapter and didn’t do anything the cost for not doing anything was $350.  When I sit back and think about it I could have used that money for something else but instead I joined and only attended one maybe two chamber meetings.  That was partially my fault, I joined because I thought that If I was a part of the organization that business would automatically come knocking to my door.  What I didn’t realize is that even though I joined and paid my $350 that I still had to cultivate and manage relationships. It’s all about relationships, people do business with you because they love your story, they love your why, as well as; they’ve built a relationship with you. 

Building relationships can be tough especially when you’re the new girl on the block, some of my tips for building relationships that shouldn’t cost you $350 are:
  • Meet and greets – It’s important to know who’s in your industry make it a point to connect with them, call them up and say… “I’d like to meet you and learn more about your business”

  • Make it a point to follow up after your meeting – Send them a personalized card.

  • Make it your business to attend industry events and follow up with all those you meet after.  

     Again, it’s all about building relationships as the new guy/girl on the block you have to remember that it’s going to take time and you have to be persistent. Moreover, be sure to evaluate and think about it before joining any type of organization that has member fees, sometimes your business isn’t the right fit, make sure you do your research. Finally, don’t expect the phone to ring off the hook, your new to this so, keep plugging, keep going and as a result you’ll see your business grow. 

Nothing Great Happens IF Your Hiding Under The Bed!





When I first started my business I remember all I wanted was for someone to give me a chance, I wanted to be able to prove to the world and myself that I was capable.  I could start a business, grow it and make it successful.  I saw the glitz and glam of starting a business; the money, independence and growth potential.  I never realized or thought of the negative aspects such as naysayers and negative people who would try to hurt my business.   When this first happened to me I wanted to crawl under a bed and hide from everything but I realized that my problem wasn’t going to go anywhere if I was busy hiding from it.  It’s all about perception, when I first had client issues I took it as an attack.  In reality it wasn’t an attack instead it was a lesson.  I’ve come to realize that whenever something negative happens I have to take a step back, listen and meditate.  Crying is not an option, my negative situations become my opportunity to become creative and learn something new about myself and business.  See, what has changed for me is my perception, I’m learning that becoming great has a lot of learning experiences, some are going to be uncomfortable.   As humans we don’t like the idea of being uncomfortable and we don’t like others with negative perceptions of us but that is exactly what we need occasionally, we need the candle lit under up butts to get us moving.  I encourage each of my readers to embrace the negative and uncomfortableness, to find ways to overcome it with our creativity and to never throw in the towel just because it’s difficult.  It's difficulty probably means it's worth it!