Melendy & Steve

Corraling the Kids and the chaos while running our business

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Social Media Coaching Saved my Business

Let’s be honest for a second. Social Media is an ever evolving creature. The number of people who utilize social media on a daily basis has skyrocketed. People use it for news, weather, sports, to share pictures with loved ones, share recipes, and to run their small businesses.
Because of the nature of social media, and the fact that it has not been around forever, I found it helpful to reach out to others and discover how best to run my business.

At a training event for LuLaRoe in Boston, in November of 2016, just two months into my business, I was introduced to the Socialite Suite, and in turn, it’s founder Brenda Ster. Brenda teaches a principal of social media known as Attraction Marketing – drawing people to you by being authentic, and personable.  She does not endorse adding all your friends, Using your personal page for business, or constantly talking about your business.

Instead -she teaches leading with value, being genuine to yourself, and having your online presence represent your best you! She teaches you how to draw others to you, instead of chasing them down. They are teachings I wish I had at the beginning of my Direct Sales Business.  I wish I had followed her sooner. BUT wishes only get you so far!
I do follow her, and I do learn from her. She helped me build this blog, she helped me overcome some mindset issues, and I have an amazing group of friends who all believe that Direct sales should not be all about sales, but about providing value to the people we sell our goods to.

I believe in what I have learned so much, that I joined her premium coaching group, and eventually became a private coaching client.   Others see what I do on social media, and they ask me for tips. When I started my LuLaRoe journey, I did not understand what I was doing, or how to do it. Now, I hope that when others start their journey – no matter what product/company they join, that they will use these methods.  The opportunity to lean on those who have been through it is invaluable. I love to learn how others succeed in their business! Want to chat about what I have learned, and why I am loyal to Brenda and her team? Reach out and ask – I am more than happy to have a conversation about it!

Doing what you like is Freedom, Loving what you do is Happiness!

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Stuffed Chicken – Pinterest day 3!

Stuffed Chicken for the win!

Well, we are well on our way to culinary genius here – Or maybe I am just swimming in yummy Pinterest inspired foods!
Recipe one and two were amazing, and I decided to go for recipe three!!

On the plate today was a Stuffed Chicken breast.
The prep time for this meal was really short.

I started with a pan, and the olive oil.


I added the crushed Garlic, and heated for about a minute.


then I tossed in the Spinach and heated through until the spinach was wilted.

I removed that from the heat, set the oven to 425F

black and white becasue who wants to see raw chicken naked?

Next I butterflied the chicken breast

I used Mozzarella because we love Mozzarella then placed the spinach on top.


I used olive oil on the bottom of the pan, placed the folded closed chicken breast in the casserole dish


sprinkled with Paprika


and baked for 30 minutes


we tested the temperature – who wants food poisoning? No-one!

I paired the stuffed breast with baby Arugula
We almost couldn’t eat it all! So delicious!!!

The original recipe can be found here!
And the only adjustment we made was type of cheese!
Let me know what you think If you try it!

In Conclusion

Just Pinning a recipe is fine for inspiration, but I am so glad I got inspired, ran to the store and made these delicious meals!

Let me know if you re inspired to make your own Pinterest inspired week.

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To Pinterest or not to Pinterest?

We have most likely all found Pinterest.

My mom uses Pinterest, My dad uses it, My husband is using it to finish our basement. I use it – for many purposes, but I often pin with no intention of actually using those pins. In the words of a friend – Pinterest is an Online Life – One we usually wish we had. Workouts we won’t do, outfits we won’t wear, drinks we won’t make, crafts that are too messy, and food we won’t cook. Reality is – we want to, but we won’t.
After hearing this, I decided to take action. I looked at my Pinterest boards, and found one workout that I thought I could do daily, and several recipes that I wanted to try.

I decided to Use my Pins to actually make some changes!

First – I decided to do a plank Challenge for my workouts – since Steve and I are cruising soon, I am very conscious of my waistline.   I am about 10 days in, and I am seeing and feeling some results. Let’s see where I land on Port day! I am also going to the Gym Daily and doing about 50 minutes of Cardio, combined with healthier eating – I am not down pounds yet, but inches are melting off! Yay for small successes!

Now for recipes

I found several Low carb recipes, and some even looked appetizing! I looked at our week, and I decided that with a low impact week, we were going to try these out. (Be on the lookout for how these went over the next few days!) Here are the recipes that I am in love with for this week.

Monday: – Spaghetti Squash and herb butter lobster!
Tuesday – Steak tips with Zucchini AuGratin
Wednesday – Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken breast and Arugula salad

I will be back daily to update you on each recipe, and, what I would do differently!
Want to see the recipes I Pinned on Pinterest?
Follow me and my boards!
And be sure to check back here for how these recipes turned out!

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Hydration – Why we need it – and a challenge.

Proper hydration is one of the easiest health factors we can control.
We all know that the standard for water intake is 8-8oz glasses of water a day.
If you are looking to loose weight  that number changes. The standard is half an ounce to an ounce of water for every pound you weigh. I am WAY under hydrating for that number. Why more for loosing weight? Because we need to flush out the toxins in our body that happen when we are exercising more, and eating healthier.
Why is it so hard to maintain that appropriate level of hydration, and what can we do to fix that?

For me – one of my biggest motivators for getting something accomplished is having an accountability partner. If I am accountable to someone, I am more likely to complete that task. This is why, when my LuLaRoe Facebook group concurred with me that hydration was a big problem for them, I decided to start a hydration challenge.

Today will be set up – determine how much water you need to drink each day, and then make a plan. I have found that when I write a goal down, and then tell someone, I am more likely to complete that goal!
As the challenge goes on, The goal will be to see that it is easy to hydrate with a plan.

As a reward – well, you will have to come back and see – but I hope that this challenge will give people a chance to come together as a community, and take steps towards self care.

What are you doing for self care? Do you want to join in my hydration challenge? just sign up for my email list here!
https://melendyandsteve.com/water

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LuLaRoe Business – How to start your own

LuLaRoe

You have been watching your friend/neighbor/relative for some time now.

Maybe, you own zero to fifty plus pairs of leggings.

Do you want to know what draws them in/ why they do what they do/ if it could be right for you!?

Step one to starting your own LuLaRoe business –
Talk to someone who works their LuLaRoe business the way you would want to work your business. Ask them as many questions as you have. Most people who work their LuLaRoe business will be willing to make time to meet with you and talk. Some tips for topics are: Value, Time, Money, Balance, Support.

I hope you don’t mind, but I will share mine with you!

join lularoe

  • What Value will I get out of LuLaRoe?
    I like to start with this because I know how important value is to everyone! Here is what LuLaRoe has given me. Since I started my own business a year ago – I have found a group of friends that I can relate to. We lift each other up, support each other, and there is a community of encouragement that never fails. Steve and I have become a team in a way we never were before. We work for the common goal of success in our business, helping others be successful, and giving back in every way we can. The value extends to our family who is quick to help, happy to be a part of our LuLaRoe Business, and is learning responsibility through the business model Steve and I have placed out. Our boys are a major part of my why, and a major part of my drive to do better for others.
  • What is the cost of starting your own LuLaRoe Business?
    What does it COST to start your own business with LuLaRoe? LuLaRoe requires that each fashion consultant start their business with approximately 350+ pieces of clothing. That translates into a significant investment. There are no fees involved with the startup of your business through LuLaRoe. Every dime that you pay goes towards your initial wholesale order. This order is a decent inventory that will come filled with some of the most amazing pieces LuLaRoe offers. The model is simple – we purchase at wholesale, and sell at retail.  The work is not easy – but it is simple. Organization is a strong tool to have in your toolbox!
  • What Type of Time commitment is a LuLaRoe business?
    How much time does it take to make your own business work with LuLaRoe? The answer is not easy – it can take as much or as little time as you want, however, the more time you put in, the more you will get out of your business. Some families have replaced their  full time jobs with their LuLaRoe business and work 50+ hours a week to get it off the ground. Others use this business as a way to supplement bills, or pay for a vacation, a new wardrobe, or even their car and work 20 or so hours a week just doing sales while working their full time jobs. The idea of time in your business is what you are willing to put into it. Some families sell completely online, and some sell only in home. The flexibility to make it work for you is what is important! For our family – It is my full time job, and Steve’s part time job – and together we work hard to make it a success for our family – based on our goals.

So – now that I shared some of my tips with you, lets move on.

Step Two – repeat step one with a few more people. It is important to get as much information as possible from as many sources so that you can make an informed decision.

Step Three – Pick a sponsor who you will be able to work with. Someone who you share goals with, or who will fill in your voids. Which person that you spoke with did you connect to? Is it a friend or a relative or is it a stranger?

Step Four– Fill out your application – and wait for your call. LuLaRoe uses a queue as a waiting list for people interested in starting their own business. While in the Queue, there are training calls, and support from your sponsor and their team. Utilize this time to learn, and plan. This time well spent will catapult your career in a way you cannot imagine.

Step five – The day has arrived, the phone rings and it is the LuLaRoe home office calling to welcome you to your new business! You got your call now – go rock your business! remember you are not alone – there are many women and men standing in front of beside and behind you lifting you up. Noone has to do this alone, the community of LuLaRoe will help you to succeed.

Step six – Share your passion and love of LuLaRoe with others! Just like I am doing here –  you want others to know how LuLaRoe has changed you, helped you, or what it has done for you! LuLaRoe also encourages us to focus on being leaders in our day to day so that we are helping everyone succeed!

Do you have more questions about LuLaRoe? Just ask!
You can always send me an email or a message.

If you love what you read – and you want to join my TEAM – you can do that by emailing me – or following this link! I would love to help your life be blessed with this journey!

 

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Be proud of who you are, and what you do

When you were a child do you remember getting a sticker on your paper? Or a smiley face drawn on by the teacher? How did you feel? You were proud! As we get older, we are taught to be humble, to be kind, and not to boast. Is it truly boasting though if you are doing something that makes you feel good?

track
Steve and I had the experience of coaching some amazing athletes at track and field this season. It is always pride filing to watch these youth go from fear to belief in themselves. We give them the tools to do what they have the physical ability to do, and they soar. Several of our athletes qualify for the National level of the Junior Olympics this year, and it was humbling. The biggest thing we did as a team was to win a local meet. This meet is regional and teams from all over the area come to compete. It was exciting to watch our athletes reach PR’s, do things they hadn’t before, and be proud of their work!

 

In our day to day life – we work our LuLaRoe business together. We are having much success, and enjoy the work that we do. Why is it that I have a hard time talking about this success? I want others to know that this woman who disliked everything about herself a year ago has found out how to love herself because of the work she is doing with LuLaRoe. I found myself “Turtleing” when people ask what I do, or how it is going. You know – when you pull your head into your neck and round your shoulders.

I don’t do that anymore – or at least I try not to. It turns out that the sales figures I have, and the work I am doing puts me in the top 1% of the company. I didn’t know that, I assumed I was average, I assumed others were doing it the same or better. you know what they say about assumptions.  I was setting personal PR’s, but I was also creating a sustainable business and keeping it to myself. That helps no one!

lularoe retailer

Today I am making a change. I am choosing to be proud of the work I am doing, and to share that with others. Someone else could benefit from my success story, and I don’t want to take that away from them.
So I will share. I will tell people about my success, and what the benefit is for my family, because I can do this, and stay humble, and possibly change a life all at the same time.

What can you share? How could it help someone else? Will you share?