Mahi Mahi with Watermelon Salsa

by Katie on July 9, 2010

Okay guys- this picture doesn't do this meal justice, but I just had to share.  My cooking style is to basically find a recipe that looks appetizing, then go to the fridge and pantry and see how close I can come to making it using only what I already have.  Last night I found a recipe for Pork Chops with a Green Apple Chipolte Salsa.  I turned that into Mahi Mahi with Watermelon Salsa- YUMMY!  Sometimes you just need a starting point.

My toddler has become a huge fan of Fish and Rice and I couldn't be more thrilled.  We've gone through the chicken nugget/mac and cheese phase and I hated it so now to have him asking for fish is like music to my ears!  One of our staples has been the Mahi Mahi frozen fillets from Costco.  Ideally these would be fresh but based on my locale- this is the next best thing!

This was a very easy meal-took less than 20 minutes.

Start the rice- I served this with yellow saffron rice, but whatever you have works.

Pan sear the fillets, each side and then turn down the heat and cook 4-6 minutes per side.  I coated mine in a Soy Ginger marinade.

Make the salsa- this definitely makes the meal! 

1 cup chopped watermelon
1 chopped peach
1/2 chopped white onion
I chopped tomato
Fresh Oregano
Chipotole seasoning (or some sort of chili powder)
 

Enjoy!!  I just finished the leftovers for lunch and it was even better the second time around!

P.S. I left the salsa off my toddler's plate and just seved watermelon.  He's not a huge fan of chipotle, yet~

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Waiting on Baby #2

by Katie on July 6, 2010

So I decided to take a break from my normal posts, mainly because I can't focus on anything except birthing this baby!  It's hot and I'm ready!  I have prickly heat behind my knees, the simplest tasks like loading my son in the car in the morning result in a sweat fest.  I'm way past the "cute" pregnancy phase.  I've outgrown my maternity clothes and I shuffle around because if I pick up my feet to high, I have to pee again!

Don't get me wrong.  I think pregnancy is one of the most amazing life experiences ever- but the "unknown" about when labor will start is killing me! Thankfully we have had a very healthy pregnancy and everything is on track for a normal delivery-just when???  Started having contractions this weekend but they turned out to be Braxton Hicks- no progression, no increase in intensity.  My husband is the cutest.  He is in sales and is very uncomfortable booking tentative appointments with his clients, though I think childbirth gives EVERYONE a pass.  He actually asked last night- "if the contractions stop when you lay down- could you actually force labor by continuing to move around?"  I laughed and offered to mow the grass in lieu of throwing the closest object at him!

I've polled my girlfriends and searched the internet for tips and tricks to induce labor.  I ate eggplant sandwiches this weekend followed by grapefruit juice spritzers.  I also had spicy food.  Walks and sex were common responses to my inquiries. My first son came 4 weeks early, 24 hours AFTER my doctor told me he was making a nice, warm home for himself.  Therefore we never went through this waiting game.  Honestly though, I still have another 2 1/2 weeks until my actual due date- please don't make me go full term!

I'd love to hear your story- especially you mommies that had Summer births in the South!

Take care,

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I’m just not a good salesperson… Handling Objections in Network Marketing part 2

June 23, 2010

Network Marketing is more about building relationships, teaching others and following up than actually selling

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Simple Things to “Brand” YOU

June 22, 2010

So regardless what your business is-you now have something to offer others AND regardless of how cool that product or service is- your success depends on YOU. People buy from people and it is important that YOU stand out. I want to share a few simple steps you can take to begin to establish your brand, your Business Image, your YOU.

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Handling Objections

June 11, 2010

skills.

Improving your own Organizational Skills and Time Management can propel your business and help reach new levels of productivity. More importantly, once you learn how to be more organized and utilize time management- you’ll be able to tell your prospect “If I could show you how to find the time, would there be anything else holding you back from joining my team?”

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Leading a Horse to Water

June 9, 2010

I had an interesting conversation the other night with my husband and thought it was worth sharing.  He was talking about a recent meeting that he had with his clients.  He is in financial sales and does a lot of training with his clients. He basically represents a couple products and he works with clients to show them how to sell his products to their clients.  What I love most about my husband’s style is that he isn’t a sales guy at all- I mean he is thorough, he presents the facts, he offer ah-ha moments but then he let’s the audience make up their own mind.  Basically-he takes the consultative approach and does such a great job at it that his audience is basically left with no choice but to move forward with him.  All along the way, he is training his clients to be consultants as well- to lead the horse to water.  He was telling me about his last presentation in which he asked a question to his audience- what’s the difference between and stock broker and a financial planner (it was a group that thought of themselves as financial planners)  His point was that a stock broker is going buy and sell based on his agenda, based on the products he is compensated for etc..  A true financial planner is going to paint a complete picture for his or her clients-even when he or she may not be able to offer all the products.  What happens though is that the financial planner builds the trusts, opens up new doors and establishes credibility.

This same approach can be applied to your direct sales business and your recruiting style.  Too often we get it into our heads that this opportunity will be perfect for someone and spend our energy trying to “sell” them on the business and why they should do it- being the stock broker. Instead, if we asked more questions starting with “What”, “Where”, “How” all along leading them to establish their “Why”- they would decide on their own if the business was right for them. If we, as recruiters, put ourselves in the Financial Planner role, our recruits can then take ownership over their decision to start their own business and will ultimately be more successful.

Technorati Tags: consultative selling, Direct Sales, recruiting

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Building Relationships

May 24, 2010

Last Friday I cashed in my mother’s day gift certificate for a massage.  Please be forewarned, I am not one to complain about a massage EVER and trust me- that isn’t how I mean to come across BUT they were quite a few things that happened during this experience that got me thinking about how we SHOULD be relating to our customers.

I got to my appointment on time and was greeted by my therapist- she walked me to the room , told me how I should position myself and then left me to undress. This took no time- but it took her 5 minutes to get back to the room- I know this because of the classroom style clock that hung on the wall, clicking each second off. The clock thing surprised me because it definitely did not fit with the mediation music, the aromatherapy and the relaxing sounds of the water fountain VERY ANNOYING-but I digress…Any ways, for someone who is paying by the hour- I found myself getting a bit annoyed and anxious for my massage to start.

Once she returned, she tells me how the massage is going to work, how I’ll need to move etc.. BTW, I ‘m almost 8 months pregnant and just a bit uncomfortable- I pointed out some areas of discomfort –hips, pelvic area,, etc..and then we got started.  Though she had a nice touch- she never asked about my level of comfort and she never addressed the areas that I pointed out.  In fact- it seemed as if she had her routine already mapped out her routine and wasn’t willing to deviate or customize based on my individual needs. 

So-this lead me to start thinking about one of the biggest mistakes we can make with our customers- not listening to them, not taking subtle clues, sticking to our agenda instead of being flexible.  So often we meet with a customer and have plan in mind.  Instead of listening to the customer, we are crafting our next response while they are speaking.

I attended an interesting seminar recently.  The title of the seminar was “Put on a Little Lipstick and You’ll be Fine, A Sales Philosophy to Stay Optimistic in Tough Times” and it was all about how we as salespeople need to be optimistic, especially in this tough economy AND how we should be positioning ourselves as consultants not sales reps. When you move into more of a “consultative” role, you offer your skills, knowledge and expertise.  You provide your client with advice or make recommendations that will help them make their business run more efficiently, more productive etc.. You establish yourself as a partner rather than a vendor. This can only happen if we listen to our clients- ask questions to understand better and provide them with authentic services and products-based on their needs, not our agenda.

Our clients have WAY too many choices these days of who to do business with and I need to do what can to make sure they are doing that business with me!

I’d love to hear your feedback.  What are some ways that you build relationships with your clients?

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Benefits of Starting a Network Marketing Company

May 17, 2010
  When my husband and I first starting thinking about starting our own business, we had a loosely defined criteria and a ton of ideas. That criterion was: 1)   Ability to generate greater earning potential than what we were currently making in our corporate sales jobs 2)   Provide us with greater flexibility with our time That “loosely defined” criteria made the selection of what type of business a little more difficult.  We started thinking brick and mortar physical location- quickly realizing that our profits would be eaten up in overhead.  We thought about distributing a product or service and then realized that our earnings would be limited to how many widgets we could sell. We even looked into starting a franchise- but again, starting a franchise required a huge time commitment, upfront investment and in most cases, a limit on your return.

Then we discovered Network Marketing-

Network Marketing offers the opportunity to start your own business with a very small initial investment, low overhead, ability to earn immediate profits and provides a nice tax advantage.  Most importantly-it fit within our criteria- greater earning potential and greater flexibility.

Greater Earning Potential

Network Marketing offers a unique opportunity for individuals to sell a product or service and sponsor other distributors to increase their points of presence in the market place.  A distributor is then not only compensated for the work they do, but they in turn are compensated for the activity of distributors underneath them-referred to as a downline.  This is an incredible model that allows you to earn over and over again for your single efforts.  A typical compensation plan allows for unlimited wealth potential, depending on the action you put forth and how you choose to build your business.  Network Marketing is not a get rich quick type business-but if you find the right company and build your team accordingly you have the potential to earn big.  Though you have the ability to earn immediate profits, your should plan on having a 3-5 year plan to build a significant income

Greater Flexibilty

With a Network Marketing company, you have the ability to set your own schedule and work around other priorities in your life.  A Network Marketing business can be started part time as a way of supplement your income. Your income grows over time as you add clients and distributors, so many people start this while continuing to work another JOB.  With the technology available today- you can easily start with a minimum time commitment. Most companies suggest at least 10 hours/week for prospecting and training.  You’ll want to be sure to work with your sponsor to determine how your time is best spent. Make sure that the majority of your commitment is spent on IPAs (Income Producing Activities). For more information on how to pick a Network Marketing company, please read
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Why Networking Marketing?

April 28, 2010
Network marketing and social networking.. The world of networking marketing is changing.  No longer do we need to rely solely on the more traditional ways of promoting your business and products.  With Social Media,we have the ability to reach a more targeted audience, particularly those individuals that are looking to be found.  Networking marketing gives us an alternative to the typical linear style of earning an income.  It also offers a more flexible way of earning an income, something you can essentially build around your schedule and your other priorities. There was a time where my career was the most important thing and climbing that ladder was my driver.  As my family grows, earning an income is still important, of course- and maintaining a lifestyle that was supported by a this income is still important- but running the rat race, allowing others to raise my children, rushing through take out meals, skipping workouts in exchange to spend valuable moments with my son etc.. is not how I want to spend my days and has lead me to look elsewhere. With my network marketing business, I am building a residual income that will continue to grow while I work on creating new experiences with my husband and children. My friend and colleague, John Yosco, shares these tips about the Network Marketing industry. Network marketing has grown steadily over the last 20 years, increasing 91 percent in just the last decade. With more than 13 million Americans and 53 million people worldwide involved, it is today a $100 billion global industry. Yet as impressive as this is, it’s not hard to see that the real growth in this business model has only just begun.  For one thing, demand is increasing exponentially. Because of the ever-accelerating pace of technological advancement, there is a growing flood of new products and services that desperately need their story told in the marketplace—stories which no amount of screaming TV ads or sprawling Internet pop-ups and banner ads can effectively tell. Today less than 1 percent of the population is involved in network marketing, yet new people are pouring into the profession at the rate of 175,000 per week in the United States alone. Neil Offen, president of the Direct Selling Association, predicts that at the current rate of increase, worldwide some 200 million people will enter this industry over the next 10 years, effectively quadrupling its current percentage of the population.  Network marketing is already a force to be reckoned with—but its growth will explode in the coming decade. Networking marketing is essentially using a product and sharing it with others and reaping the rewards.

Technorati Tags: Direct Sales, direct selling association, Network Marketing, residual iincome, social media, social networking

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Goal Setting

April 27, 2010
Last weekend Nashville hosted the Country Music Half Marathon and Marathon.  Over 30,000 runners participated-despite the looming weather.  Being pregnant held me back from running this year- instead I cheered on the accomplishments of my friends and loved ones, my husband included. My son and I cheered the runners along the way and made our way to the finish line.  We stood at the end- clapping and cheering for strangers and I’ll admit- tears welled up in my eyes!  Granted, I’m 27 weeks pregnant and these things happen, but I also felt so excited for these strangers.  Not knowing their background, their story, if this was their first or if they are a returning veteran- I watched each of them and imagined what they might be feeling- an incredible sense of accomplishment.  Marathon and Half Marathon training involves  a level of determination, goal setting and training.  One typically can’t wake up days before the race and decide they are going to run (at least the average, non-athlete can’t!). I ran my first half 5 years ago and prior to that- a 5K was daunting.  But I trained, I started a program months earlier, stuck to it and slowly learned to love running.  I’ll never forget my last mile and the thoughts that ran through my mind- I did it!  I picked something, stuck to it and accomplished it!  In this world of quick fixes and easy answers- setting a long term goal and accomplishing it meant a lot to me! Starting your own business, particularly a business in Network Marketing or Direct Sales is much like long distance training.  You have to be committed for the long haul, you have to expect some roadblocks and setbacks. BUT, setting a goal and creating a plan to acheive that goal willl get you to the finish line.  With training for a long distance race- your goal maybe to complete it or to complete it within a certain time.  Once you set your goal then you create the plan that will help you achieve that goal.  This typically consists of daily actions that once met, will bring you closer to achieving your goal.  With training that means determining what type of work out is required each day.  To maximize your performance, that may also mean what diet you ned to follow to insure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs.  With starting a business- goal setting means establishing benchmarks- where do you want to be in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months?  Then create the plan that includes what actions you need to be taking each day to get you to that goal.  The more concrete and visual you can get with this- the better your chances of success.  Write down your Goals and write down the Daily Actions you need to take to achieve these goals.  Share your goals with your colleagues- get them out there! What goals are you working on right now?  Have you shared them?  Do you visit them daily?

Technorati Tags: action, Country Music Marathon, Direct Sales, goal, goal setting, marathon, Network Marketing, training

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