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Back to School essentials: The Magic Menu and the Master Schedule

August 13, 2010 By 7 Comments

It’s Back-to-School time. We all love the energy of anticipation at our house. Mmmm, the smell of new school supplies and brand new socks! Summer is a special kind of busy, and the Fall brings its own unique pace to the house, brimming with renewed purpose.

Two tools for one happy home

This week I offer two of my favorite personal tools that have helped me smooth out the wrinkles in our busy home life. Even if you don’t have kids, the benefits of these tools are too numerous to pass up, so count yourself in, you’ll be glad you did.

The first, I learned from watching my mom stay organized while raising a slew of kids. I ended up adapting a physical tool that I could share with my business partners to bless their homes the way my mom blessed ours. The second comes from my mentors in direct sales years ago. With women making up 70% of the direct sales and network marketing distributor base, it’s no wonder I got this training. It only makes sense to help a woman get right in her home in order to help her be more productive in business.

These days, I know that it simply feels good to have order and clarity and that prosperity is an natural effect of that mindset. This has become a principle that I’m very intent on imparting to my kids.

Dinner time can be a rewarding time to reconnect, stay in touch with each family members’ lives and enjoy being a family. Eating together is an old-fashioned ethic that will never get old. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t do this, treasure your family today.

Family eating together

No matter what size your family, eating together is an important time for laughing, catching up and staying connected.

How to Use the Magic Menu

The first tool is the Magic Menu, a.k.a What’s for Dinner? sheet. Fill it out on Friday or Saturday when planning and shopping for the week ahead, and make sure its posted on your fridge by Sunday night. Why is it magic? How about saving on your grocery bill, for starters? Less waste. Less stress at the 4 p.m. “What’s for Dinner?” hour. More help in the kitchen. Family teamwork and self-esteem. Healthier eating. Cleaner fridge. Oh, I could go on and on about the benefits of this wondrous tool.

• to the right of the day listed, write the person who will prepare the meal. I like to assign my kids each a night so that they get practice cooking and taking responsibility; I always assume I’m supervising, though. I involve them in the choosing of the meal ahead of time when I’m making my shopping list, that way they’re much more mentally invested.
• three lines for each day. I use them for main dish and two sides. Or, you can put sides on the second line and dessert on the third
• when planning the week ahead, consider all schedules in the home and plan for three nights when your family will eat together. On the “off” nights, consider doing leftovers or lighter quick-fix meals. If one night in particular has everyone gone but your youngest, for example, make it a dinner-for-two date night.

mom n daughter cooking

Sharing kitchen chores with kids is a great way to bond, train, build self-esteem and just enjoy each other's company.

• to the far right of each day, develop the habit of putting your kids’ activities or your evening business, church or other commitments where everyone can see them.
• write your shopping list based on your menu…its so much easier this way and you’ll avoid costly waste on impulse items.
• look for opportunities to incorporate leftovers, such as at your lunch or even into lunchboxes
• set aside a session to assemble your main dishes ahead of time. This will make light work of preparing dinner on the actual day.

Master Schedule

The second tool that’s saved us a lot of headaches is the Master Schedule. Fill this out and update it about once a month as seasonal sports, church, business and other commitments shift. Keep it in a plastic sleeve on the fridge next to your Magic Menu.

• first go through and fill out YOURS and your partner’s schedule. You are the head of the household. It’s critical to frame in your own priorities first.
• next get all your family members’ work, sports, youth group, musical practice, and other schedules in front of you and mark in their fixed events. Don’t stop until this is done! Consult with each of them for anything that might be in their head, but not on paper (experience talking, here!)
• look at the four weeks ahead and mark in any one-time events after that
• make a note in your own personal planner for conflicts or special transportation arrangements you’ll need to cover
• involve your family in your planning session; this eliminates last minute changes and helps them remember you’re all a team.

Code red! (and blue, yellow, orange, green and purple)

• if you have a home business, give yourself two colors: one for personal time (exercise, journaling, meditation, personal dates, etc), and one for what I call “money time.” I like green for this one, and if my kids see green on the schedule, I’ve trained them to know it has to do with us accomplishing our family goals, and they don’t tend to interfere.
• assign a color for your spouse or significant other
• if colors permit, assign a color to each family member and block in each of their activities by color.
• color coding the schedule is a great way for everyone to see the whole family view at a glance.

The Good Vibe Tribe

Once you’ve done the Magic Menu and Master Schedule for one, two, three weeks in a row, you’ll start to feel the vibe in your home shift. It’s a very cool thing! Your family will start to feel more cohesive, and they’ll find ways to let you know it. They’ll start taking responsibility for their own lives as they see their part in the whole home. This is an example that can prepare for adulthood like few other actions can.

Right now, download these two tools. Print a few copies each. If you’ve begun to adopt FLYLady’s Control Journal, keep your extra copies there. Let me know your successes! This Fall my wish for your whole house is peace of mind, family pride, self-esteem and much laughter. And if you have business partners that are aching for peace of mind, leverage yourself and share this post with them! Bless you and be well.

—Stephanie

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Filed Under: happy home power house, Homesteading & Preps, Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Perfect MLM Presentation: A Template That Works Every Time

August 11, 2010 By 20 Comments
Perfect Presentation

A successful MLM presentation starts with a format you can scale up or down according to the situation.

Want a solution for a versatile MLM meeting format? Something you could use in a home meeting, at a coffee shop, online, or in an office conference room?

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Would you love to know your new partners could confidently duplicate in their first week of business?

Well, if you have a basic “tour” video presentation, and this template, you have magic at the touch of a keystroke. [Read more...]

Popularity: 100% [?]

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To empower others, believe in their ‘Future Best’

August 8, 2010 By 4 Comments

Sunday morning and I’m thinking of all the projects I’ve got going and what has inspired them. I’m blessed. Why such big goals and great expectations? I’m always looking to improve. I think it was Catherine Ponder who called it “divine dissatisfaction”.

Catherine Ponder

According to Ponder, we're all given the gift of "divine dissatisfaction".

Yet, I’m keenly aware that no one pulls off greatness in a vacuum. I’m so grateful for the people in my life who have opened doors to my growth through unflinching belief.

These people have an abiding trust in my greatness. I love to be near them, share my victories and lean on them for counsel. They make up what I affectionately call my “Love Posse”. They make it easy to keep believing in myself. (Accepting new members daily, by the way!)

I also have teachers who are in the “Rascal Pack”. They’re the ones from whom I’ve learned many lessons, yet more reluctantly. You have those in your life, too, right? God bless ‘em, several have come to be lifelong treasures.

Whether your support crew comes by way of the Love Posse or the Rascal Pack, its all ultimately support. It’s how you choose to perceive them. To see all as supportive players in your growth, much temperance and forgiveness may be required. Forgiveness is the scientific alchemy that can transmute lead to gold in one’s countenance, even in their physical body. It unlocks immeasurable potential.
[Read more...]

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Emergency preparedness: Chicken Little or “It can’t happen here”?

August 7, 2010 By 5 Comments

To say things have been heating up in our world in recent months, even years, is an understatement. Just the number of disrupted homes in the Gulf states this year, alone, breaks my heart. Many have been rocked to the core and are facing challenges on every level. And the Gulf’s just one region, oil industry is but one sector of our society. When survival is the priority, many aspects of life suffer. If you’re caring for a family in addition to your self, the added responsibility in times of crisis can be overwhelming. High stress can compromise good decision-making and interrupt otherwise relative contentment.

The self-reliant citizen

Do you really want to be stranded in a crisis? How would you feel to be dependent on local government for your most basic of needs. I promise, so few people take this subject to heart, that when a crisis hits, the lines of those waiting for care are too long. Do you want to be subjected to this possibility, or would you really rather be in a position to respond capably? Are your local governments and charities equipped to handle your entire population in a crisis? Not likely.

With forecasts looming of unprecedented shifts in employment, financial, political and climactic norms, I’m objectively taking stock of my own preparedness. In fact, my research tells me that we are changing as a culture on so many fronts, and possibly in ways that could change our way of life permanently. Definitely time to go through my stored foods, check emergency lighting and fuel supplies, and update the emergency kit and contact list, for starters.

Pick your liability: “The sky is falling!” or “It can’t happen here.”

The truth is, ignorance and paranoia, alike, can be a liability. So how much preparedness is enough, and how much is overkill? In future posts we’ll talk more on self-sufficiency and emergency preparedness. I was raised to think that preparedness is normal and just plain smart. It doesn’t mean that I am paranoid or am happy to invite trouble. It simply means I’m equipped to respond well for myself and my children. At times in my adult life, my “preps” have helped us through in a pinch, with events like temporary power outages and unexpected losses in income, for example.

I’ve found that many people suffer from an attitude that “it can’t happen here”. Tell that to the recently upset families of the Gulf States. I bet they woke up the morning the spill happened with a different plan for the day. When Hurricane Katrina hit, I can guarantee stress was higher for Louisiana evacuees, many with families in tow, who had no back up plan, no emergency cash or food reserves, no “bug-out bag”. Yet, to think any of us is immune to crisis is foolish.

Start smart: the 72-hour kit

Many people simply don’t know where to start. Emergency preps can be daunting, but the best place to start is with the 72-hour Kit, also known as “the go-bag” or the “bug-out bag”. This backpack kit has the basics to get you through the first 72 hours of a crisis. There should be one for every member in your household. Update them annually, and store in a place where you can grab quickly.

On Saturdays, I’ll be sharing more about emergency preparedness and her cousin subject self-sufficiency. These are subjects that every responsible citizen should at least consider. Yet, they can also be very empowering and fun to explore.

What’s your PQ?

In the coming weeks I’ll help you assess your PQ, or, your Preparedness Quotient. I’ll help you prioritize what to organize, assemble, and acquire to round out your short, mid-term, and long-range preps. I’ll share my favorite resources, checklists, recipes and the results of many of my tests of preparedness products, foods and strategies. We’ll talk about the importance of neighborhood networking and creating SOCs, or self-organized collectives. Free resources will be in place soon at this site. We’ll even talk about emotional, mental, and spiritual preparedness. Soon you’ll be confidently glowing with deeper peace of mind.

Your homework today

Right now, print out the 72-hour Kit list. Assess flashlights, batteries, prescription medication, and my personal hot-button, toilet paper! Entertain some of the what-if thoughts: take stock of your property or dwelling, your neighborhood, and your town. What are your environmental hazards? What are your alternate communication and power methods?  What are your major routes in and out of your city, and what are the alternates? Who are your neighbors? Who is on your family contact list? Talk these basics over with your spouse or a trusted neighbor. I promise, these questions won’t turn you into a raving, paranoid lunatic, they will improve your capacity and peace of mind.

Let me know your questions and thoughts. I’m always expecting the best. Peaceful is the soul who knows they can ride out a storm out safely, and make constructive decisions from a more capable vantage point.

—Stephanie

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Beyond “organized”: Learning to F.L.Y. right

August 6, 2010 By 7 Comments

In the late 90s, my sister referred me to an unusual web site created by a robust, kick-you-in-the-pants-with-love flyfisherwoman (yeah, that’s a mouthful) who taught about the wonders of peace of mind in homemaking. She’s a goddess and a guru. Walks her talk. The real deal.

Back then, I subscribed to her daily emails where she would literally tell me what to do: little chores, day by day, teaching exactly how to clean and maintain my haven the FLYLady way. Go clear and dust the top of your dryer, would be a typical command.

It’s an ingenious system and it saved my soul. But when I found it, it was much more than that, it was a way to reframe home life from drudgery, overwhelm and failure, to where order, cleanliness and peace became an offering of love to my family. Thank you Marla Cilley for the teaching me Finally Loving Yourself through “homeblessing”.

Marla empowered me! She taught me things like dressing from the sneakers out first thing every morning, shining my kitchen sink before bed, keeping “hotspots” clear, and the 27-Fling Boogie. She taught me to go in BabySteps. Utterly life-changing.

At the time, I was working full-time at a corporate job, and between that, the commute, and three children, my time was at a premium. I needed peace of mind more than anything else, and I was just sure, more than anyone else.

As I invested myself more into her methods, I realized that families everywhere suffer quietly with defeat and depression, with little hope in sight, longing to be given a secret extra day to catch up to life once and for all.

Can you relate to any of this?

Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in chaos?

This is the book that changed my life!

Once Marla’s book, Sink Reflections, was published, things got even better. I took on the Control Journal. This is a nifty invention that anyone can set up that has each “zone” of your house on a weekly rotational cleaning system. For example, as of this writing, this week we are in Zone 1: The Entrance, the porch, and the dining room.

With this system, everything gets clean a zone at a time; eventually everything has a place and, as if by magic, one can transform into the much-coveted status of the “always clean house” and the oohs and ahs that go with it. No overwhelm. Just order. Aaaah. The feeling.

I was never that person, by the way. I always got, “Cool house! Very funky!” But I never got the wistful whispers, “Oh, I wish my house looked like yours.” Uh, no. If my house was clean, my kids asked who was visiting! In Marla’s terms, I was in C.H.A.O.S. Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Sound familiar?

But over time as things got better  , I got a little too confident, not appreciating what I’d created. I let my Control Journal get dusty. I woke up to a cloudy sink more mornings than not. Worked in my jammies. And routinely clearing “hotspots” (those pesky corners where we habitually let clutter collect) became an erratic happening.

Here’s why I’m sharing this with you: You’re in business for yourself, and most likely from your home. It’s critical that it be a place of order, conducive to staying on track, staying sane, and staying profitable. You need freedom. Being profitable and present is directly tied to your bottom-line.

And this isn’t just for women , so don’t even go there! If you have a home-based business, it’s likely you help lead and guide homemakers to success, whether you’re a man or a woman. Not only that, but more and more guys are helping run the home these days.

The Prodigal FLYBaby

Since moving recently, I realized I’d gotten way too far off track from all my life-changing FLYLady training. How did I know? Ever try to run your home-based business after school has let out for the summer? Yeah. The fact that my house and its state was running my emotions, cluttering my thoughts, and derailing my plans was a huge clue.

Marla’s methods and a peaceful, orderly home are essential for anyone, but even more so if your office and your home share the same address.

So go today to Marla’s site. Get her books. Sign up for her training. Check out the forums. Do it one BabyStep at a time. She’s the Queen of By-the-Inch-Its-a-Cinch. Trust me.

This week we are in Zone 1. That’s all I need to remember, and you too. Everything else will keep. Today is the day to take a BabyStep back to the land of “Aah”. Probably for you and me both. So let me hear your successes; it’s such a joy to share Marla with you. I know you’ll by F.L.Y.ing in no time.

—Stephanie

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Maximize your binary pay: Think triangles!

August 5, 2010 By 12 Comments

If you’ve been contemplating your MLM summer, you’ve no doubt gone through a range of questions and emotions. What’s up with my team activity? Where’s the energy? When will it shift?

Personally, I’ve learned to roll with the summer vibe in MLM over the years. I don’t fret over my check; I relax and help my partners lay the groundwork for a post-Labor Day game plan, which has nothing to do with doing nothing and everything to do with doing the right things.

Are you excited for the Fall high season? What is fueling your enthusiasm? Hopefully, the facts and how they translate to profit for you and your partners. This is, after all, business.

To be effective in the Fall, it’s critical to understand why the right kind of activity matters before you launch for Fall.

I’m focusing here on the binary comp plan, because that’s where most of my VIP partners and clients are focused. If you have a different comp plan, adjust accordingly; it’s the mentality behind the numbers that makes this effective.

The almighty triangle

There are many titles in binaries, so for the sake of keeping it universal, I call your basic qualified position the “triangle”, that is, 1) you on the top, and 2) a personally sponsored partner on the right, and 3) one on the left, with all three of you on your monthly auto-ship or service commitment. On paper, this makes the shape of a triangle. Simple, right?

To have this structure in place is fundamental for two key reasons: first, your company recognizes you as eligible to be paid on incoming sales volume; and second, you’ve set the most important example possible to your partners as to the correct way to set up business.

So, here are some important questions to answer. You might want to get out a notepad.

1) Are you, yourself, “Triangle Qualified” in your plan? If not, do you need one? two? When will you commit to yourself to lock this down? Get date in place, coach with your sponsor if needed.

2) How many people do you have in position to earn a check right now? Meaning, how many triangles do you have in your organization. This is a critical question.

3) how many generations deep have you gone so far? (there’s no wrong answer here!)

Double of nothing is still nothing

Many people get excited to share their executive bonus promotion. Many companies will create incentives for their executive programs, offering “double-this” and “matching-that”, and it can sound so exciting. But let’s remember, double of nothing is still nothing. If your partners have no binary checks you have no matching bonus anyway!

Your healthy organization will be based on how many active triangles you have in place, and the deeper the generations, the better. It should be your central team ethic. Period. There’s really no long-term business before that happens. No residual, no leverage.

Get this and get serious about it. There is little else you could teach your partners than to value the pursuit of the Triangle.

To travel well, get a roadmap

If your upline does not have one, create a simple worksheet that maps out a binary tree, and then train your partners to keep one updated and posted in their office. This “roadmap” should tell you what you need to know about where to focus because you’ll see the “holes” and the depth you’ve achieved. This is so helpful if you’re focused on a pay increase or a rank advance. It also lets you see how to build from the bottom up. We’ll get into this fundamental in a future post.

Flight-check for pre-season

• lock down your own triangle

• map out your team triangles on paper, showing where they have duplicated through generations

• work with your personals to complete theirs

• map out the calendar from here to the end of the year. (conference calls, home meetings, super Saturdays, boot camps, corporate events, etc.)

• map out any current promotions (Many companies focus on stimulating activity in August with “Dash for Cash” type themes. Take all promotions into account)

Go for the joy…show them the money!

Imagine the joy of helping your partners not only get paid in the binary, their core residual foundation, but also have the satisfaction of making profit. When you use events as a framework, you create forums for your partners to showcase the business. From there use promotions to help stimulate binary checks before high season, you will create an environment for high achievement, self-esteem, and momentum will be a natural result. Trust in your leadership will be high, and so will retention and profit for the whole team.

It is shockingly simple. Don’t complicate it.

I’ll be posting more as the month progresses. For now, you know the priority: triangles!

As my kids would say, “Mom, you sound like a skipping CD” (remember when it used to be a “broken record”?)

If its one thing I’ve found in this profession, the fundamentals never change. Triangles.

Don’t be a Lone Ranger!

Message me directly if you need help understanding how to map this out. Reach out for what you require to set your binary foundation right. Bless you in your week. Let me hear your successes. It’s gonna be great!

—Stephanie

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What are you “making up” for? Get real and go for healthy!

August 3, 2010 By 7 Comments

I like glamour and fashion. I like all the girly stuff. I’ve got my fair share of image-making bells and whistles in my closets and drawers. But over time, I’ve become more and more disillusioned with the world of cosmetics. Take a look at the following words, with a slightly different emphasis: MAS(K)ara, eyeLINER, lip DEFINER, COVERup, MAKEup, CONCEALer, BLUSHer, to name just a few of the doodads that make wild promises right in their name. That doesn’t even cover all the little treatments, injections, and therapies.

Nowadays I’m more interested in what makes great skin and a beautiful expression in the first place. Seems like a lot of energy goes to “fixing” on the outside what could be an inside job. And I wonder what subtle messages my daughter gets when assuming her naturally rosy cheeks, dark lashes, freckles, and creamy skin need any fixing? If she just took her cues from mainstream media, she’d hardly know to think differently.

Authentic beauty: it’s an inside job

But what do I mean by “inside job”? Good rest. Good nutrition. Good circulation. A clear mind. Emotional and spiritual well-being. Clean living. Seems like when any of these things aren’t present in our lives, it shows up on our faces, and then we feel we need, or we’re conditioned to believe we have to, “make up” for something missing.

Guys don’t have as many messages about “fixing” their appearance on the outside. They just sort of roll on with life, calling it good with a shower and a shave. What would happen if we offered cosmetics to your average man? He’d probably ask, “Make up for what? Cover up what? Conceal, line, define…what for?”

I care about my image, but it’s gotten to be more trouble than its worth to keep up the “making up”. I’m just at a point where I want to take on true, whole health and know that’s what creates my persona. Remember the deodorant commercial with Jack Palance? The one where stares dead-on and proclaims a throaty, “After all…confidence is…very sexy…”? I think it applies here.

Actually, I’m grateful to my “cosmetic conditioning” for pointing out my dark circles, dry skin, clogged pores, crease between the eyebrows, and so on. Those symptoms are all indications that emotional, physical and spiritual health can be improved. There are few things more engaging than a heartfelt smile, a healthy sun-kissed glow and the sparkle-eyed look of inner peace, so that’s what I’m going for now.

Model citizens

So now I’m taking cues from men and women who model true, whole beauty. I bet you know people like this in your life. They’re natural and inspiring; you naturally want to pay attention to them. I do care about looking my best, but when I don a splash of color, I know now it’s for the play of it. Being playful and creative is part of the joy of being human, and costumes can be so fun. But that’s not who I am inside.

I guess I’m just ready to live more authentically and put more care into internal actions that lead to a beautiful look. Feeling good seems to be the best cosmetic. I’d rather slow down and be more tuned in to what’s real about simply being.

Define your beauty. Define your brand.

So what about you? How do you define beauty? Take some time to reflect. What beauty routines have run their course in your life, ready to be released. What’s been taking extra time and money that no longer serves you? Could you stand to stop torturing your hair with sprays and potions, and instead spend the money on a massage? You may have been ignoring an inner whisper to use fewer cover-ups, concealers, masks, and definers, and instead trust the beauty inside you, taking more steps toward radiant being.

Building a personal brand for business is about trust, and does require attention to your image. To be real, we have to get real. Few things are more engaging than a person who feels comfortable in their own skin, reflecting mastery in self-care and ultimately, self-respect. That is an image worth following.

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First blog post: One fairly ordinary action

July 23, 2010 By 24 Comments

I asked my mentor this morning, “What was the subject of your first blog post?”

Long pause from her. She didn’t remember. It was a clue, but to what?

I have to chuckle because it’s taken me “a million years” to write this post, and I realize it’s the most important, and yet, will likely be the least memorable. I’ve done plenty of micro-blogging on the social media circuit, cutting my teeth, building a presence of sorts and some confidence, but I have been too busy-shy-distracted to finally launch.

So today, while my site is under construction, you get what you get, because ultimately this post probably wont be what you remember about the value of this site, and yet it’s critical in my world that I post today.

My social media soul-sister Faith Barnard, mentor in story above, invited me to participate in a challenge [Read more...]

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