Where Networking Gets Hot!

I interviewed with Gia Heller and her networking group, at that time known as Arizona Women (AWN) & Arizona Men (AMN) Networking, more than 16 months ago.  I’ve watched it blossom in to something that is absolutely the best of the best; not just in Arizona, but quickly evolving in to The National Business Experts (TNBE) with groups starting in several states, rapidly becoming a nationwide force.

As exciting as that is, we are now helping women & men all over the world starting with “Empowering the Women of Pakistan” to stand and be counted among the independent business people of the world.  When a business woman in Pakistan looks on the Internet and finds Gia Heller and The National Business Experts, you know you’ve put your kite in to the right wind!

There are so many networking groups to choose from in every city.  We all need the feeling of connection and validation that comes from long-term real world relationships found only in being a part of something bigger than ourselves.

TNBE is the catalyst that has allowed those of us who are serious about our passions, like Becky Feola owner ofAssisted Living Advantage who helps people transition in to an assisted care home, Cynthia Knight, the East Phoenix Valley realty expert for “first time home buyers” and Christina Wagner, Marketing Director for KFNX 1100 Newstalk Radio , grow.

That is just a small sample of the varied group members & businesses that have learned how to shine through social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn under the careful tutelage of Gia & her social media team of experts Social Media Masters, including Heather Dopson & Patti Knoles.  It is all a part of making yourself over from a small business, to one that people seek out and follow on a daily basis.

One of our newest members, Kimberley & Brett Noe of AngryBadger Studios w/Brett Noe Productions, researched all the networking options in the Phoenix area and landed with Gia & TNBE.  Listening to her and following all the instructions she gave them, they have been able to gain 35 new customers in less than 45 days.  That is absolutely incredible for a video/film company.  But they did listen – they did learn – they did grow.

You owe it to yourself & your business to check out at The National Business Experts!

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I just watched this video  of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, talking about success & creativity and what it is we all have in us to succeed.  I found this revitalizing to me and I hope that it does the same for you and whatever creative processes you go through to “Keep Showing UP!”

Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity!

To me it showed that no matter what you want to be or who you want to be – you have it within you to be that person!

Artist – Author – Poet – Painter – Mom – Salesperson – Grandmother – whatever it is you want to be – Give it ALL you have to give!  Open yourself up and allow yourself to be who you want to be!

I doubt Ms. Gilbert will ever see this blog but I want her to know that she has inspired me – Today!  That she has allowed me to see who I am and the way I want to share with others.  I have a wonderful mentor in Renee Preis who has consistently shared with me that in Showing UP – putting myself out there in front of people and just being myself,  people will find value in me & what I have to share with them.

So – as said by the blogger “Our Own Sweet Time” -

“… tonight, I’m sitting here, toasting Elizabeth Gilbert. Belatedly.  Girl, you are good.   And I am grateful.  And I am, as well, discovering for the umpteenth time that sometimes people, experiences, love…and stories…arrive at just the perfect moment.”

(Thank you for saying it so well – Own Sweet Time!)

& to Ms. Gilbert – Ole!

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We are NOT an MLM, or a Home-Party company, or a company where you have to buy huge amounts of inventory, a Get-Rich-Quick scheme/scam (if that’s what you’re looking for, we’re probably not the right company for you – there I said it)…

Now that I told you what we are NOT – I’d like to tell you a little bit about what we are!

We are a 25-year-old, debt-free, health & wellness company providing more than 350 products in health & wellness that people use literally every day of the year. We were green 25 years ago when “green” was just a color!  If you know 10 people who clean their homes/apartments, take showers, wash their clothes, take vitamins/supplements, use some kind of skin care system, buys over-the-counter medicines – we are FOR you!

We love & value our customers, who 95% of the time, month after month, purchase our products online or by phone! We do this because it really is about helping the little-guy (95% retention rate)…& the money earned from those monthly sales goes back in to the local economy through the incredible residual income that is secured for anyone wanting a 2nd or extra stream of income.

Today’s baby-boomers can not afford to retire now, and 1 out of 4 says they’ll never be able to afford to retire.  That’s crazy – It’s insane that working 20-30-40 years for the same company – or a myriad of jobs does not give us a secure financial future. When I was released from my job of 23 years, 6 weeks ago, I knew I had to get down to the brass tacks and take the company that I had played with for almost 15 months, earning a few $100 a month, was the future I saw for myself and that I needed to review what I had done in the past and that by being consistent & persistent, I too could have the life I wanted without being chained to a desk in a company that did not care about me!

In a Time Magazine article in an acknowledgement of reality, 40 percent said they plan to work “until I drop.” & there is another poll that indicates that

44% of Americans born between 1946 and 1965 are not confident that they’ll have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, according to a new Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll. More than half (57%) say they lost money during the recent economic downturn and many who were affected (42%) say that’s why they’re delaying their retirement.

Economic anxiety has certainly taken its toll on us. Pensions, social security, and individual savings plans like 401k accounts aren’t secure enough to float the average midlifer’s retirement boat. The recession and its aftermath have not only tarnished our anticipation of the Golden Years but in many cases eliminated the option.

There is an answer and it’s not a “get-rich-quick” scheme – In fact Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, has called our company the Get-Out-Of-Debt company with real-time solutions – That’s what I call an impressive reference!

Read more at: http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/retirement-poll#comment-193744

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2039804-2,00.html#ixzz1MQo5cphH

This is where your future begins!

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This was, for me, a day of amazement, vision, love, hugs and so much more.  I was thrilled when Patricia Burkhardt Mitchell, owner of the Sincerely Yours Salon in Phoenix, Arizona invited me to be a part of the day she has set aside every year for the last four years – the day following Mother’s Day.  She takes her salon, stylists, massage therapist, manicurists and makeup artists, and so many more to descend on Phoenix Children’s Hospital to pamper those moms who are day in and day out at their children’s sides who are ill and confined to the hospital for a myriad of reasons!  It was also captured on film through the artists at Brett Noe Productions.

This blog post is not to “promote a specific company or person” but rather to acknowledge and thank those that helped put this all together.  2 years ago my grandson was in Phoenix Children’s Hospital for more than a week and was diagnosed with a form of epilepsy and so I know personally how trying that time can be on parents & grandparents and how hard the nurses and doctors and staff all work to help heal these little ones.

I was able to experience life and the willingness to persevere through each one of the moms and the little girls who came down to be pampered.

This is Kimmie – she’s four years old and suffering from a form of cancer.  She wanted hair, but when Char McCreadie sprinkled magic sparkling fairy dust on her hands and cheeks – she giggled like the little girl she is. – Talk about tears…from all of us including mom!

And then there was this young beautiful girl who turned 16 that very day and we gathered around and sang Happy Birthday to her while she was having her hair done…

Celebrating 16th Birthday at the hospital...

It was so humbling to see how these moms and children face each day with life-changing illnesses.  The love and hope and giving was beyond what I ever expected to see.  To hear one mom say “after 3 weeks here at the hospital, today I feel like a real person”…and another “I can’t believe that someone would care enough to come down here and do this for us…for me…I feel pretty again”.

Each of these moms and grandmothers and aunts and guardians are giving everything they have to give to their little ones and to be able to give back even a little was an honor & day I will never forget!

Thank you Sincerely Yours Salon for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful experience!

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I married my husband almost 17 years ago and when we met he was just starting his teaching profession.  He was working day & night to prove to himself and those kids in his class that he was worthy to be their teacher and that he had something for them to learn every day and 17 years later he is still doing exactly the same thing.

Our school in South Phoenix, AZ, is a very small private school in a very low-income part of the city.  Although we have seen our neighborhood grow and in many ways prosper, the truth of the matter is that when it comes to education here it is still sadly lacking.  We have about 50-60 students each year and we work on the old school-house principle.  We have K4-1st grade in 1 class and 2nd-4th grade in another, and my husband teaches 5th-8th grade all subjects. (Yup – he’s very smart! – all our teachers are very gifted.)

I love to see his kids come in to his class from the public school system at 5th, 7th or even 8th grade who can’t read or write their own names and leave with purpose, discipline, motivation and the ability to learn and become more than they ever thought they could be. Not every child who comes in to the school goes on to achieve “greatness” – that would be me telling more than a “tall tale”.  But I have seen children learn to read and how to socialize with kids & adults – re-purpose their goals and ultimately their futures with tools that have been gladly given to them.

Yes, we charge a tuition – a free education can be had at the public school, and the Arizona Charter School system leaves so much to be desired that we decided years ago that if the parents cared enough to pay even the lowest of tuitions they would care enough to back their children in all they wanted to do with their lives.  We’ve seen children come out of our neighborhood (27 years in the love of educating children) and go on to full scholarships: become doctors, lawyers, international baccalaureate members, scientists and excel in film as well as many other realms of creative and caring avenues.

So, when I say that my husband is my hero and my teacher – I really mean that – He teaches me every day how to open my heart to one more person – to see beyond what that person is wearing, the color of their skin, or the accent in their voice. He shows me that even in a little neighborhood in South Phoenix, AZ, our little school, in love, compassion and education can make a HUGE difference!

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American Association of Poison Control Centers: Poison Centers Federal Appropriations Cut by Nearly 25 percent in Proposed FY 2011 Continuing Resolution;  Damaging Impact to States’ Ability to Help Citizens!

Alexandria, Va. –{U.S. poison centers suffered a nearly 25 percent cut in federal dollars in the proposed 2011 fiscal year continuing resolution agreed upon by House and Senate negotiators and released publicly on Tuesday – a damaging cut, but one far less brutal than originally proposed by the House of Representatives in H.R. 1.
The House of Representatives, in H.R. 1, had originally called for a 93 percent reduction in federal funding for America’s poison control system, a move that would have produced disastrous effects on public health. “We’re grateful that Congress has recommended that a majority of our 2011 federal dollars be restored in the final compromise,” said Richard Dart, M.D., Ph.D., president of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. “But we must be clear: These cuts are still extremely harmful for poison centers. The cuts come on top of budget cuts at the state level. Many centers are experiencing total cuts from all sources of 40 percent or more. It’s short-sighted to believe that centers can sustain these cuts and continue to provide the same level of service that they did before.”
Federal dollars account for roughly 20 percent of total funding for poison centers, with states and other non-federal sources funding most of the balance. Poison centers provide free and confidential medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and have been cited as a model for cost-effective health care delivery. “These cuts come during a time when poison centers are already facing enormous financial strain,” Dart said. “It’s too soon to know what these cuts mean. At best, callers to poison centers may have to wait
longer before talking to a medical expert. At worst, we may see more of our poison centers close.}

I went in to this website to verify facts I was reading about the sheer # of people who called in to the Poison Control Centers here in the U.S. for help because a child had accidentally ingested a potentially life-threatening toxic cleaning product.  It states that 92% of all poison exposures happen in the home.  And the truth is, it isn’t just ingestion that creates a poisoning effect.  It can be from breathing toxic fumes and by coming in to contact with toxic substances through the skin & eyes.

We bring products in to our homes every day that we assume are “safe” for us & our families because they’re available for purchase countrywide on the store shelves…But, nothing is further from the truth.  We, as consumers, need to make better choices in what we use in our homes!  Even the lotions, creams, soaps, shampoos, conditioners & deodorants contain toxic substances that can over time break down the immune systems and in combination with our toxic products under the bathroom & kitchen sinks create a home where the level of pollution is greater than the air we breathe outside the home.

There are solutions that do NOT have to break the family budget and that is a message we need to get out to the people.  I shout it out loud – I whisper it in the halls – but whatever I do, I want people to know it is because I care for them, their children, their grandchildren and this planet!

Call Me! – Email Me! – Let me show you how to live a richer and fuller life with better and safer products!

602-507-8558, distinctinspirations@gmail.com – Don’t let the next call to a Poison Control Center come from YOUR home phone!

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So many people today don’t look forward to their retirement - with no way to make ends meet.  And, getting up tomorrow and heading in to their 9-5 job, knowing that as much as they’ve given to a company, over sometimes many years, that the company is no longer the same as it was and they are no longer valued the way they once were.

I know how that feels!  One day at the end of my shift, I was told my services of 23 years were no longer required. The terror and the pain and the hurt were so overwhelming that in numbness I stumbled out the door with my little box of “stuff”.

I had already started a small side business with a rapidly growing health & wellness company who had for 25 years supported the growth and value in the “little guy” (or gal in my case).  Only by working diligently and consistently and maintaining a steadfast message of caring for people am I able to show people I do care and that I’m not going away.  So many people, first the award-winning author, Marcia Fine, and Alan Pariser, a Corporate Director, and now Renee Preis see something in me that I don’t yet see – but I’m not giving up and I’m not going away!

It is so important to know and be aware of the pain in others.  Everyone is scared and don’t know if what they value today will even be there tomorrow.  I was at a business coaching class last night led by Renee Preis International for Savvy Business Entrepreneurs and had the distinct honor of meeting Bill True, screenwriter & speaker, and he shared with us about the Spirit of the Entrepreneur!  Did you realize that in 1900, 95% of the population in the U.S. were entrepreneurs?  From shopkeepers to salesmen to the blacksmith and the list goes on and on – this isn’t something new!

When the Great Depression hit our nation, people developed what was termed the “American Way”. And, we’ve striven to protect that “way” ever since – that you work 40 hours a week for the same company for 20-30-40 years and you retire from that company with a pension & Social Security.  Well – those days of the “American Way” are really over.  But do NOT fear!  Fear kills and destroys hope and so much more than that!  Don’t let it destroy you! FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real!

Don’t be afraid of what tomorrow may bring – someone shared with me a few weeks ago that “When God shuts a door, He always opens a window” – just make sure you pull back that curtain and see the sunshine coming in through that window!

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Left side Jar: Tide 2X, Right side Jar: Melapower 6X

It’s true and those of my generation who are suffering the effects of these toxins we’ve brought in to our homes will attest that what I’m saying is true!

I found this funny in my quick research.

Tide doesn’t have any real difference from the others other than fragrance. All laundry detergents are mostly water, with surfactants (which basically lower surface tension on clothes to allow molecules to release), usually some enzymes which are targeted at specific common “dirty” material, and sometimes fabric softener.

For exact ingredients go to “Tide Laundry Detergent MSDS” . All products on the market are required to publish Material Data Safety Sheets.

& surfactants in detergents help remove organic compounds from a substance by making them dissolve more readily in the water.ter in which the substance is washed. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/surfactants)

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_ingredients_in_Tide_laundry_detergent#ixzz1JvM9vvQH

Surfactants are largely made from the waste bi-products of the petroleum industry. Some time ago, scientists managed to combine propylene and benzene, producing sulphuric acid and then neutralise it by adding sodium hydroxide. The result was a product rather like natural soap and suddenly marketers were able to develop a new commercial must-have consumer line of detergents.

I actually found a blog posting that has great information about the levels of cancer-causing agents and hormone changing chemicals that are in our every  day products. http://www.pollutionissues.co.uk/additives-soaps-surfactants.html - The author ends with a Call To Action – We must start now to break the cycle we have been trained to believe was the only way to go.

This isn’t a joke and honestly there is nothing funny about it – although I truly wish there was!  Then writing this would be easy not having to search out the truth among all the ads, blogs, and websites that constantly send you back to the pollution/cancer-causing manufacturers. It’s amazing and sad…

My call to action is to ask that you check out http://www.distinctinspirations.awugreen.com – come – find out what I’m about and let me know how I can help you! – The password to the guest area is AdvancingWithUs – I look forward to being of service to you!  I’m here to help!

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In an article in the AZGreen Magazine entitled “Is Greenwashing Wearing You Out?” the very title alone is exhausting.  They state that manufacturers every where have jumped on the “green” band wagon.  All I can say to that is “Boy Howdy”…every where you look it’s green this and oh this is green and oh my – did you notice that this manufacturer is now making laundry soap that is green?

I’m sorry, but they’ve had generations of time to get it right and yet over and over again they want to fool & deceive the buying public.  Biodegradable and consumable and a myriad of other tags go on bottles and sale ads and still they continue to produce products that are filled with formaldehyde, ammonia, bleach, phosphates; and the list of chemical compounds could go on ad nauseum!  And that is what it should do to you – It should make you physically ill to THINK of what has been done with our homes, health, family – All in the name of the almighty $.

They continue to take your weekly budget and increase the cost of items while downgrading the amount of product you actually get – if it isn’t more water and other chemicals added to your cleansers & household items, they make the bottles smaller and smaller.  Always giving you less and less.

In a time when every penny matters to every family budget – it only makes sense to seek out alternatives that “make sense” and make “cents”.  Our family $’s must stretch farther and provide better value – When people say that we must make a “Call-To-Action” – I am doing just that!  I’m making a Call-To-Action.

At Distinct Inspirations we are able to provide families with a way to not only save money on the items they use every month, but we also are able to help keep the family budget in tact by providing a way to eliminate impulse buying.  It’s a new way to shop that’s been around for 25 years – yes we’ve been “green” for 25 years! – So, let me show you with a webcast how you can protect your family budget, as well as provide an extra stream of income for your family!

I’m POSITIVE it will be perfect for someone you & those around you that you know & love!

You can read more about it at Distinct Inspirations - the password to the guest section is AdvancingWithUs. – You can also email me at distinctinspirations@gmail.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

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In a blog “The 5 Dumbest Things You Can Do if You Have Too Much Debt” the author tells us that “if you’re struggling with too much debt you’re not alone.”  We have all been overspending, overeating, over making-merry and the pit isn’t really the giant pit of financial dispair…Wrong – the party always has to end…

The author of the blog, however does give 5 great tips on strategies to avoid when you are faced with the struggle of getting out of the financial pit we’ve dug ourselves in to…

The 5 strategies you may want to avoid:

The first advice of experts in the field is to be sure you don’t make your situation worse by making common mistakes. In particular try to avoid:

1)  Paying only the minimum payment on your debt as this will results in the amount you owe actually growing and your problems will only become worse.

2)  Relying on friends and family as this can damage relationships with the most important people in your life.

3)  Unscrupulous credit counselors that demand cash upfront or high fees for help they promise, but don’t deliver.

4)  Using new high-interest loan to pay off lower interest rate loans – while it may be easier to just have one payment but it will actually increase the amount you have to pay back.

5)  Declaring bankruptcy – this can have permanent and severe consequences on your financial future, avoid if you can, especially when debt settlement may work for you…

One of the best financial advice guru’s out there, Mr. Dave Ramsey offers great advice to anyone going through financial struggles – or for those who see the “writing on the wall” – there are so many things available to people today that it only makes sense to get started on the right track now – before the crayon on the wall becomes permanent marker!

There are alternatives to declaring bankruptcy – do what you must do – if you lose your day-job then it is even more imperative that you find ways to provide a financial income.  There are many “out-there” MLM companies that promise the “world” but most of them, if not all of them are based on a pyramid where the first one in wins and the last one in loses.  There is a company though, that Mr. Ramsey recommends – and I’m delighted that out of all those companies, the one that came to me when I didn’t know I was looking for it, was that exact company.

I would love to have you check out my website at http://www.distinctinspirations.advancingwithus.com – the password is AdvancingWithUs.

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