Sun, Fun, and Celebrations

I’ve just returned from sunny Arizona, home of our latest Close To My Heart Regional Celebrations—where the Consultants were brighter and warmer than the weather. What a blast we all had! If you’ve never been to or heard of Regional Celebrations, let me tell you that it has a fitting name: its two full days of celebrating! We include non-stop product giveaways, fabulous meals, insightful business classes taught by our corporate and Consultant leaders, and energizing creative sessions.

One of my favorite treats is being able to teach in the creative sessions, and this Celebration, I taught a collection of 10 fun stamping techniques all assembled on a binder ring for quick reference. As we were playing with our fabulous My Acrylix stamps—doing everything from arching them to second generation to masking—I thought it might be fun to ask the attendees if they had any questions for me. Did they ever! Here’s a sample of some of the crazy questions they asked (and the answers I had such fun sharing):
What’s your favorite music? I think many people were surprised when I shared that I listen to a little of everything, from Britney Spears to Led Zeppelin! I do love classical music, though, as it always inspires me and I love sharing it with my children and grandchildren.

What’s your favorite movie? Another easy one: the Colin Firth version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” Who can resist Mr. Darcy?

How long does it take to develop a new product? Not surprisingly, planning and preparation can take a year—or even longer! Right now, we’re working on our Autumn/Winter catalog products and they’re nearly completed. I’m always coming up with new innovations and ideas, and luckily I work with a really talented and responsive team who can quickly transform great ideas into great reality!

Is the slowing economy affecting Close To My Heart? Thanks, Ginni, for asking this question everyone wants the answer to! Here’s the scoop: a slow economy can be helpful to a strong direct-sales business such as Close To My Heart. People are thinking of creative ways to supplement their incomes and hedge against uncertainty. The Consultant opportunity is more attractive than ever. Additionally, people are looking for outlets that are more MEANINGFUL for their investment in time, money, and emotion. They want to enrich their lives and preserve the sweet and simple times spent with their family. Nothing fulfills all those aims quite like scrapbooking! And people love how we scrapbook and what we offer. I also asked the attendees this question: “When the economy slows down, does your desire to create just disappear?” No, of course it doesn’t! We are creative beings, and as long as we’re born with hands and hearts, we’ll want to use them to express ourselves and to create beauty. The current economy provides some challenges, but it also gives us great opportunities! Close To My Heart is doing great!

What are you reading right now? Wow—this is a great question because I love reading. I’m a news junkie and I love reading non-fiction books about politics, finance, philosophy, American and world history, investing, and self-improvement. And because I’m regularly in my car, I “read” a lot on my iPod, which is my favorite gadget ever! I download plenty of podcasts and audible books each week and always have a number of them going—I think it’s so important to be smart about current events and participate in those discussions.

All in all, the weekend was completely rejuvenating for me. Thanks to the dear friends, new and old—Karen, Joanne, Cristette, Jody, Denise, Michelle, and so many more dear women who truly are Close To My Heart!