The Truth about Direct Sales

I first heard of Thirty-One a couple of years ago when my sister-in-law began selling it. I was young and hip (or so I thought) at the time and the products didn't fill a need in my life. I loved me some Vera Bradley and one thing you can say about this girl is that she's loyal - even to Vera Bradley. I wanted to support my sister-in-law so I'd go to a party here and there when there were free margaritas or friends involved. I started a small side business when my first son was born as a way to bring in some extra money. I did vinyl before vinyl was cool. Fast forward a couple of years and everybody and their mama has a machine that cuts vinyl and I needed something else. I did not think I would be successful at direct sales since I was a stay at home mother who rarely left the house. I had thought about joining Thirty-One before but I was waiting to order an enrollment kit that I just loved. In March of 2016 I fell in love with this enrollment kit:

I ordered this enrollment kit because I loved the prints and products in it and since I was a thrifty stay at home mother of three little ones at this time, my cool and hip VB's needed to be replaced with cute and functional. What better way to get $350 worth of products than to order the enrollment kit for $99? I had absolutely no plans to sell the products. I didn't believe I could. I didn't even know how to start. I didn't have friends that would shop with me. I didn't have confidence that I would be successful so I wasn't even planning to try. My enrollment kit arrived 3-4 days after I ordered it and I couldn't wait to put each product to use. We were in the middle of baseball season with two baseball boys and I carried these bags to the ball field for every practice and game. It didn't take long for other baseball mamas to start asking me for a catalog and begin placing orders. In Thirty-One there are no monthly requirements as far as sales go. To remain active you have to sell $200 every three months. I decided I would try to meet that $200 goal over the whole three months and if it worked out then great and if not, no big deal. In March, my very first month, my sales were $305. Goal met. The next month my sales were $2183 and the third month my sales were $2621.76. That three month trial period where I was hoping to sell $200 turned into a total sales of $5109.76. That means I was able to bring in $1,277.44 of extra income into our family budget. That was a big deal. During those first few months I was also able to take advantage of our StartSwell Program and I was able to add to my inventory by earning free products. Here are the three kits I was able to get for free:

I was helping contribute to our family budget. I was able to help pay down some of our medical bills that were quickly adding up after some medical issues of my own. I was able to pay extra on our car payment. I was able to say yes more when my kids asked to do something fun. I was earning rewards and free products just for doing well and I was getting my confidence back when I didn't even know it was missing. There's something that can be very lonely about being a stay at home mom if you allow yourself to withdraw from the world around you. It's easy to stay inside all winter and blame it on flu season and not wanting to get your little ones sick when you really know it's because you just don't have the energy to get out of your pajamas or talk to people. Being a Thirty-One consultant made me want to talk to people. I was able to go up to strangers and bond over a handbag or a fellow mama struggling like me and show her a way that her Aldi trip doesn't have to take FOREVER when the kids are ready to G-O.

 

I have been with Thirty-One since March of 2016 and my love for this company continues to grow. I want to share with you the Truth about Direct Sales as I have learned in my time with Thirty-One.

 

Truth #1

Direct Sales companies are not pyramid schemes. Plain and simple.

 

Truth #2

Direct Sales works if you do. Success does not come easy. You will not have people banging down your door begging to host a party for you. You have to work your business like it is a business. You have to reach out to people and actually ask them to host a party. You have to set yourself apart by coming up with new and fun ways to offer your products.

 

Truth #3

Your friends and family may not be able to financially support you. Your family may not be in the position where they can order from you. That's ok. Reach beyond your circle of family and friends and step out of your comfort zone to meet new people. This is do-able. 

 

Truth #4

You can do it. You may think that you are not a salesperson and could never sell a product. Look over your Facebook profile and check out your posts. Chances are you are selling something. Maybe it's that Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks that you casually post a picture of yourself sippin'. Maybe it's that pair of Mickey Mouse leggings you proudly show off. Everybody's selling something. You can just get paid for it.

 

Truth #5

Your children are watching. Your children are watching and absorbing the skills you are exemplifying when you are growing your business. You will teach them the values of hard work, determination, and charity. Involve your children in your business and let them be a part of your successes.

 

 

Truth #6

Find a product you love. I am passionate about Thirty-One products. Not only because they are well made, beautiful, trendy, and functional but because they are helping change the world. Through Thirty-One Gives we are able to give so many charities that are close to my heart like the Ronald McDonald House, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Girl Talk, among others. Thirty-One has been able to donate $100 million in product and cash to support their mission. But bags, jewelry, and adorable home décor may not be your jam. Find your jam. Then rock on.

 

 





Truth #7:

Who you sign up under does matter. Your upline is so important when you are building your business. You want to make sure you sign up under someone who is willing and able to help you build your business and be successful. You will have a lot of questions when you are first getting started and you want to make sure you have a supportive sponsor who helps you in the ways you need.

 

Truth #8:

Direct Sales folks are annoying. Yep, I said it. And you're right. They tote-ally (see what I did there) are. Being bombarded by post after post on Facebook wanting you to buy this or buy that is super annoying. I admit to using the unfollow button myself a time or two. However, you don't have to be that way. I'm not sure of the rules for other DS companies but Thirty-One has a very strict "Tell It, Don't Sell It" Policy. Meaning: We like to show you our products in use and how they are working for us rather than pushing them down your throat. Nobody likes being harassed. Choose a company who has a policy that does not allow consultants to bully people into purchasing their products.

 

Truth #9

You work as much or as little as you want. Everyone's definition of success differs. For me, personally, I like to have at least 8-10 parties on my calendar per month. For other members of my team they are happy with two parties per month. Think about that. Most parties these days are online parties. You can use some pretty amazing websites (TinyTorch and CinchShare are my favorites) to schedule your posts so you are not tied to your phone during the parties. You get to schedule your parties around your schedule. In fact, I took off all of June to spend the first month of Summer with my little ones. Because I can.

 

Truth #10

You can make money. It is possible to make money in Direct Sales. Trust me, I know. Does it take work? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely! Thirty-One has allowed us to give back to our community, make donations, Go on a family trip over Spring Break, *Almost* Pay off my minivan (3 payments to go!), pay down debt on our debt-free journey, say YES more, pay for Christmas thanks to a $600 Visa Gift Card I earned, and so much more. It's possible. But you will have to work.

 

 

I am a very private person when it comes to finances. I do not say any of these things to brag or toot my own horn. The truth is I have a long way to go to be where I want to be and some months are better than others. I tell you these things so that you can see that if I can do it you can do it. Thirty-One has given me so much since March 2016 and I know that there is even more ahead for me in this journey. I am so thankful that I took the chance and said YES!

 

Maybe you are looking for your confidence, more income, the opportunity to say YES more to your family, free products, incentives, trips, or financial freedom. It all begins with a kit. This Fall/Winter Thirty-One is offering TWO different kit options. You get to choose which kit is your favorite. The products in this kit are valued at over $350 and you get them all for $99 PLUS the business supplies needed to ensure your success.

 

 

Sometimes $99 is a lot of money. I've been there. In the month of August you can sign up as a Thirty-One consultant for only $1 with our Kit-Free Enrollment. You do not get the Enrollment Kit but you do have the option to order it anytime later. You also are able to earn free products during your first 120 days as a consultant through our StartSwell Program. You can essentially build your own Enrollment Kit that way! For $1. One. Dollar.

 

 

I would love to answer any questions you have about Direct Sales Companies or Thirty-One! Maybe you have no plans to join a Direct Sales Company but I hope this article shows you how important it is to support your friends who choose to support their family in this way. Host a party for her, say yes, place an order. You may just help another mother who is struggling to find her way back to herself.

 

If you are ready to join Thirty-One, I'd love to talk to you to see if my team is the right fit for you. I am looking for hard-working ladies who are ready to work their business, make money, develop relationships, and earn free products! If that sounds like something you are interested in please message me on Facebook, Join my customer group, or join today here.

 

 





To the Fatherless on Father's Day

For most of my life I dreaded Father's Day. It was easy to ignore as a child but social media made this day impossible to ignore for at least a few years. I grew up with a mother who played both roles of mother and father. My mom was a young mother and had me only twelve days after her sixteenth birthday. She was urged to give me up and heck, one doctor even tried to get her to sell me but she raised me herself and gave me the best life she could. As a child it's easy to fantasize about someone who is not there to destroy that fantasy with his reality. It's easy in the darkness to imagine everything a young girl believes a father should be and yearn for those sweet moments that I would watch on television or see between my friends and their fathers. I heard lots of stories growing up about this man and none were positive but I just knew that my entire family was wrong. My little girl heart wanted it to be untrue so badly. A little girl's heart is a funny thing in the way it can heal the brokenness with a little imagination.

As a teenager the brokenness became harder to heal and took more than imagination so as most fatherless teenage girls do I tried to get attention elsewhere which we all know leads to a path of more feelings of abandonment, rejection, and hurt. At seventeen years old I made the decision to contact my biological father. I can tell you there was nothing scarier than having that conversation with my mother who had sacrificed everything for me. Once again I am sure my mother put aside her own feelings and helped me locate his address. I wrote him a letter. It was not an angry letter, I did not demand answers or try to make him feel bad. I just knew that I had felt bad about this situation for far too long and I needed to try to heal myself. I told him about me and I offered forgiveness with no expectations.

One night after I got home from work I walked in my home to find my mom on the phone. She told me someone wanted to talk to me and handed me the phone. I heard a voice I had both never heard before and heard a thousand times in my own head. We talked for a while and he told me everything I had waited so long to hear. He told me that he had thought about me every day and that he had so much to tell me but wanted to do it in person. We planned our next conversation and I hung up the phone over the moon. That feeling didn't last very long. A week went by. Then two weeks. And those feelings of abandonment, rejection, and hurt crept back in. I reached out, for the last time. I called. He answered. And I'll never forget this conversation. I wasn't angry. I didn't cry. Calmly I told him, "Every question I had you answered by not calling me back." I won't go into the details about the conversation that followed out of respect and because as crazy as it sounds I do feel very protective over this conversation because it changed me and healed me. I was able to see with clear eyes who he was and I was able to truly forgive him.

That was the last time I spoke to my biological father. I think a lot of people would be angry but I am so thankful. I got my answers. If I never would have reached out to him I would have spent my adult years wishing he was a part of them. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my uncle walking me down the aisle because I would be too sad that my fantasy dad wasn't there. Instead I was able to truly be in the moment with a man I would lose just one year later. And finally, I am so thankful that God protected my heart for seventeen years. It didn't feel like protection at the time but I see it that way now. I am able to see just how much God protected me from feelings of disappointment until I was ready and able to handle the disappointment.

This day is no longer hard for me. I have the very best husband who is such a great father to our little ones. I celebrate this day now instead of hiding from it. And now that I have a little girl who has her daddy wrapped around her finger this day has such an even bigger importance to me. I love seeing the posts on Facebook that many of my friends share praising their fathers and I especially love the photos that accompany the posts. I think about the pictures my friends will post today of themselves as little girls with their father, pictures on their wedding day with their fathers or pictures of themselves today with their fathers and I think back on my own pictures. I won't ever have a picture like that and maybe you won't either. But I do know that if we were able to capture our Heavenly Father in a picture we would be able to look back on photos of ourselves as a little girl, or pictures on our wedding day, and we'd be able to see God standing there beaming with pride the way only a Father could.

Dear Father God,
Today I pray for all of those who struggle on this day. Lord I pray for the hearts who yearn for a relationship with their earthly fathers. Father, remind us that we are not fatherless on this Father's Day. I am so thankful, Lord, that we do not have to earn your love and that you give it away freely. Father, I am so thankful that your love is unconditional. Lord, I pray for those fathers who stayed away. I pray for restoration if it is your will, God. Lord I pray for the men who step up to be fathers to children who are not their own. I pray for all the fathers in our lives, Lord, that they live a life that exalts you and makes you proud. Lord, heal broken hearts on this day. Thank you for loving us.

 Psalms 68:5 "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." NIV

 Job 29:12 "Because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them." NIV

 Psalms 10:14 "But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." NIV

 Zechariah 7:10 "Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other." NIV

Family Command Center + New Summer Screen Time Rules



We have this wall in our kitchen that Lord willing will one day be gone when the great remodel on Mistletoe happens but until then it is an awkward area. It's too small to hang any kind of art or picture frames on and let's just be honest, we're not really the hanging art kind of folk. I have had aprons hanging on this wall and this ugly mess below but it always just ends up looking junky. I purchased this wood and metal organizer from HomeGoods to hold school papers and things to file but it ended up looking like this. Always. It became a clutter contraption and I just can NOT with clutter.

 

 

My boys are always excited when Summer comes because they look forward to creating a Summer bucket list. We did that for the first time last Summer and they loved getting to cross things off their list. They love a good list.

Not sure where they get that from....

 

Walker can read so I knew he would love getting to see our weeks planned out on a calendar. We have always had a paper one on our fridge which I have loved because you could write things on future months but the one I have used has been discontinued so we broke down and purchased a dry erase calendar. The dry erase calendar has proved helpful considering we had a whole week planned last week that had to be erased due to the dreaded stomach bug. I found a Summer Bucket List on Pinterest and let the boys make their own which included things like >> Go to Africa, Go to the Beach, Go to the Jungle, and other absolutely fun but no way happenin' adventures. Of course we did add a few of theirs like the movie theater and the beach to our family list. You can find the Summer Bucket List Free Printable HERE.

 

I also printed off new Summer Rules for screen time. I put it in a page protector and the boys use a dry erase marker to check off their tasks. THIS has been a game changer. We do not do screen time every day but they know if they want to even ASK for screen time these things have to be done first. If they ask for screen time before this list is completed they will automatically get no screen time for that day and still have to complete their list. I was worried the list would not take them long to complete and they would spend the rest of the afternoon on screens but I was wrong. They usually get so into what they are writing, coloring, or building that they spend more than their required 20 minutes on those activities. I have also learned to set a timer on my phone and actually make them get off their screens when the timer goes off. This new system has really worked for us. You can find the Summer Screen Rules Free Printable HERE.

Mother Son Date Night

The Monday following Mother's Day our local Chick-Fil-A held a Mother Son Date Night. I was excited to get some time with my boys. I try to take them on date nights but our lives have been so busy recently between baseball, the end of school, and Emme's Birthday so I looked forward to this night for a week. Of course we had to take a car selfie when we arrived at Chick-Fil-A.

Our local Chick-Fil-A posted the event on Facebook and we had to register for a certain time to guarantee a table. When we walked in they had turned half of the restaurant into our own private dining experience. We ordered our food then checked in with the hostess who presented the boys with a beautiful sunflower to give me and then showed us to our table.

 

The restaurant was decorated in Western décor and the cow on the table had a tag that said "Wanted: The Wills Posse". I was blown away with the detail Chick-Fil-A put into this event. It really made it even more special. We enjoyed chatting together at the table while we waited on our food and then we enjoyed a delicious dinner.

 

 Following our dinner we headed outside to the photo booth they had set up. They had someone take the picture with a real camera. Imagine that...from car selfies to DSLR photos in a photo booth. We felt so fancy! We even snapped a picture with the Chick-Fil-A cow.

Chick-Fil-A gave us free ice cream after dinner and provided a free toppings bar. The kids loved putting all the toppings on their ice cream and I loved this idea. After eating our ice cream we played in the play area for way too long before heading home.

 

We had so much fun at this event! I loved getting to talk to my boys and spend time with just them. Chick-Fil-A did a great job putting this event together. I was very impressed with the time and effort they put into this event. Plus, dinner only cost us $13 for all three of us and you can't beat that!

I'm looking forward to having more Mother Son Dates this Summer and taking them out one on one. I believe one on one time is so important and they love having mommy or daddy all to themselves.

 

Do you do Mother/Son or Father/Daughter dates?

Where are some places you go or things you do?

Last Day of School + Teacher Gifts

Another school year has come to an end and I am so happy to have my people all together under one roof for the next two-ish months. We are so looking forward to Summer and all the adventures we'll get to have together. I am always super sad when the Summer is over and my babies leave me to go back to school. I'll never be a mom who looks forward to school starting back and getting a break from my littles. Sending my kids to school and them being away from me all day has never quite felt right to me. This year will be even tougher because Wyatt will be starting Kindergarten. He's so ready. I'm so not. But we won't talk about that for at least another two months. Right now we're going to enjoy our time together each day and soak up the sun, fun, and lots of memories!

Walker is moving on up to second grade. He's a natural when it comes to school. He loves learning and it comes easy to him. He's a super reader and he just doesn't have to try very hard to understand most things. Most things. The tying of the shoes is one that he just can't seem to remember to do these days. He's my little rule follower and has already been holding me accountable in the week that school has been out. We have a Summer Bucket List, a calendar, and a chore chart that he loves. And let's be real, I do too. We are two peas in a pod.

Walker's teacher this year was Mrs. Floyd.

Walker's favorite color is red.

Walker's best bud is Westin.

Walker's favorite subject is Recess.

Walker wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

Like most things these days the end of school snuck up on me quickly. I knew exactly what I wanted to get for Walker's teacher and I ordered it just in time. It was scheduled to arrive the day before school ended but got rescheduled for the next day which was the last day of school between 12 and 4 pm. The last day of school is an early dismissal day and they get out of school at 1pm. Luckily, the UPS man rolled up to the door at 12:45pm and I was able to wrap it, print off a free template from Pinterest, and get it to the school just in time to hunt down Mrs. Floyd in bus duty and let Walker give it to her. I love the colors in the umbrella and I love a good play on words. Plus, Mrs. Floyd said she needed a new umbrella so I count it as a win.

Wyatt went to Mother's Day Out twice a week this year. He went to the same school that Walker went to when he was younger so I knew he would enjoy going and be well taken care of and boy was he! Mrs. Andria was a terrific teacher and Wyatt learned a lot this year to prepare him for Kindergarten in the Fall.

Wyatt's teacher this year was Mrs. Andria.

Wyatt's favorite color is purple.

Wyatt's best buds are Evan & Bryant.

Wyatt's favorite subject is Recess.

Wyatt wants to be a baseball player when he grows up.

I really wanted to get Wyatt's teacher and some of the staff a gift they would treasure. It's no secret I sell Thirty-One and I love to gift it to just about everyone but I also love supporting my mom friends who are creative or own their own businesses. My friend Ashley began making things out of quilts and I knew they would be perfect since Wyatt goes to a church Mother's Day Out. I knew they would be cherished. I let Wyatt pick out which cross went to each person. We gave one to Wyatt's teacher, the MDO Director Ms. Kristy, Ms. Angela who works the front desk, and the sweet lady who works the car rider line every morning. She was always in a good mood even when we had just rolled out of bed and were still half asleep! Wyatt did a great job picking out which one to give everyone and they all loved their handmade and personal end of the year gift.

We were so proud seeing our little boy graduate from Pre-K! And I just have to include this picture below because it is SO Wyatt in his truest form. He was scoping out the bling he was going to get when his name was called. He is our funny man and jokester and I'm so glad he's ours!

The day after Wyatt's preschool graduation we had Kindergarten Camp. Wyatt got to go on a tour of his new school and do a fun craft activity with the Kindergarten teachers. That Class of 2030 will put ya in your place REAL quick. Time is such a jerk. It seems like 2030 is SO far away but in a blink that cap and gown will be much bigger and so will my little boys.

You can find that super cute umbrella HERE.

And join my friend Ashley's page HERE for more quilted loveliness.

Rainbows and Unicorns: Emme's First Birthday

This past weekend we celebrated our sweet little girl turning two and my Facebook Memories brought up all the feels with pictures from her very first birthday so I decided to humor Facebook and devote a whole blog post to my girl's first birthday party. Take that Facebook and all your feels.

One of the things I love so much about being a mom to Emme vs. the mom I was to my boys is that I just let things happen naturally. I didn't stress about her party theme and in a way our love for Unicorns found us. Our church was having a youth yard sale and I found the most perfect little glass unicorns in pastel colors at the yard sale. I needed some things to put on her shelf in her room so I grabbed them for $1 each. That's it. No big story there. When it was time to plan her first birthday party I was in TJ Maxx and found the most perfect plates and party supplies for super cheap and I just couldn't pass them up. They reminded me of unicorns and rainbows and a theme was born.

See? They are perfect, right?

This picture shows the colorful ceiling we attempted to recreate from Pinterest. It added lots of color.

My friend Erika makes the most adorable and delicious cookies.

These rainbow and unicorn cookies were a bit hit at our party!

Check her out on Facebook HERE

Our birthday girl was so tired by the time we did cake and ice cream 

but she sure woke up when it was time for presents. She loved everything

but this baby doll was her favorite present. 

As an activity I found these felt coloring sheets with unicorns and princesses at Michaels that were perfect for the kids. See those unopened packs on the end of the table? Those were supposed to be rainbows but none of us adults could quite figure out how to do them until the party was over.

They later became part of my Noah's Ark preschool lesson at church.

Our love for unicorns has just grown since this fun first birthday. Later in the year I stumbled on the most perfect Halloween costume for Emme at TJ Maxx and our love for Unicorns continues!

The Finish Line

The other night we were celebrating the end of regular season baseball with a team party at the bowling alley. My husband had a coaches meeting at the field so he met us at the bowling alley after his meeting. On the way home he pulled up beside us at a red light and made silly faces at my children. Because they're boys they immediately yelled for me to "Race him! Beat daddy home!"

Let me pause here and say that we did not once go over the speed limit or drive dangerously but we "raced" daddy home. We started on highway 280 so there were multiple lanes of traffic but as the "race" went on I could tell we were going to win. The boys were so worried about daddy beating us. Even when Chris got stopped at a red light and we pulled ahead they continued to ask where he was. Every single car that got near us they panicked asking, "Oh No! Is that Daddy??? Don't let him beat us!" I kept telling them he was nowhere near us. We got this, boys!

Eventually the two lane road turned into a one lane road and the one lane road turned into a country road and the country road turned into our finish line. As we pulled into the driveway, finally, Walker said, "Ok, I think you are right mommy. We are going to beat Daddy." I couldn't help but reply and say, "Walker, I have been telling you all along that we would win. Why are you just now believing me?"

And in the exact moment those words came out of my mouth my heart was so convicted. It's like I heard God say to me, "Brittany, I could ask you the same thing." Why does it take pulling into the driveway, crossing the finish line, to finally breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ok God, NOW I trust you"? I think of how much calmer the ride home would have been if my boys would have trusted me from the beginning. We could have talked together, laughed, or had a dance party. Instead they were so focused on what was coming up behind us and whether or not we would win. I knew we would win just like God knows how every single race will turn out. When we face a problem we have two choices. We can constantly worry about what's coming up behind us or what's going on all around us or we can put our trust in God from the starting line and have a much calmer race knowing that whether we win or lose, he's running right beside us always.

"Dear Lord, forgive me for the races I have tried to run by myself. Forgive me for the times I have turned around and took my eyes off of you at the finish line. No matter what obstacles are coming up behind me I know that if I keep my eyes on you it doesn't matter who or what passes me. Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace."