Talent isn't everything, it's only a start.

Mary Kay said "Those who are blessed with the most talent don't necessarily outperform everyone else. It's the people with follow-through who excel."  Sometimes we think that we must be born with "it" or else forget about it.  The truth is having the talent is only the beginning -- it is NOT a guarantee that you will be successful.

When you have a little talent...
Last night we had the privilege of watching my nieces in their annual dance recital.  They are 10 & 12 years old... but you would be so impressed with how amazing they are!  Now the younger one, Maddie, has rhythm and can move but has never really been passionate about dancing.  But, she has stuck with it over the last 4 or 5 years and finally found that Hip Hop makes her happy.  Never have I ever seen her leave it out on the table and totally get into her dance than last night especially in her hip hop piece to the song Respect.  Yes, you know the one -- how can you not get into that?!  Her true talent is in art, but she has taken her little bit of talent and maximized it by continuing to follow-through on her classes.

When you have a lot of talent...
My other niece, Shania, was born to dance!  Last night she performed for the first time on pointe - you know - those ballet shoes where you are literally on the tips of your toes?  She was the only 12 year old on pointe AND she did all that as a soloist!  When she dances she floats through the air effortlessly and gracefully.  Her dance classmates have always been 4 or 5 years older than her -- clearly she is an example of someone who was born with that talent.  However, she works hard.  She is in classes 3 or 4 days a week and is constantly practicing.  Her progress just over the last year was clearly astronomical.  You see, talent that is not worked on will never really be realized.  It's truly the follow-through that makes the biggest difference.

So, how does this relate to your business?  Some of you are talented.  Your words flow effortlessly with just a little bit of practice.  You understand how your business works and you absolutely love every part of your business.  For you, it is almost more important to work hard in order to make that same astronomical progress from year to year.  The minute you take your talent for granted, that's when you plateau and become stagnant.

Some of you feel less confident with your skills.  Things don't necessarily come so easily to you and you may have a bigger learning curve.  But you are passionate about what your business can do.  I will tell you that I personally fall in this second group.  I absolutely love working with women and making sure they know just how great they are.  But the skills of our business require my dedication and determination to be as smooth as some of the natuarlly talented.  Either way, practice & consistency is key.  Don't give up.  Keep on going. 

If you know deep down that there is something about your business that feeds your soul, you owe it to yourself and to the women in your future to keep on going.  You will figure out which part of your business you are most passionate about.

Lastly, our "Grandma" National Sales Director, Jan Harris once relayed this story.  First know that Jan's area has been #1 in our Pearl Seminar at least for as long as I have been in Mary Kay.  She typically makes $40 or 50,000 each month these days.  A woman was telling her that she ran into "Jane" who used to be in Mary Kay and knew Jan (key words "used to be").  Jane said "I know Jan, I was a much more talented consultant that she was".  The woman relaying the story to Jan was sharing it because she was appalled by Jane's comment!  Jan looked at her friend and said, I remember Jane... and she's right, she was way more talented than I ever was as a consultant.  The difference is that I stuck with it and worked it out... and she didn't. 

You don't have to be the most talented in order to be successful, you just have to be willing to NOT QUIT.  So remember...talent isn't everything, it's only a start.

Want an amazing (and true) inspirational movie relating to this very subject?  Go watch Rudy.  Whether you've seen it or not, it will truly inspire you all over again!  I know it does it for me!

Time is like money in a bank...

Have you ever thought about how powerful time is?  These last 2 days (yes in the middle of a work week), I was blessed to spend time with my husband and 2 nieces.  We played games, went to the San Diego Fair and watched a movie.  Yes, it is the last week of our fiscal year and we do have goals to reach by June 30th.  But somehow, when I was with them, I wasn't looking at my watch.  Do you know why?  I planned for the time.  Ahead of when they arrived, I made a decision to plan 3 focused & effective hours each day to keep my business moving so that when we were doing something I could be 100% present to that moment. 

We don't always know what distraction (good or bad) will come up and when, but we can certainly maximize each day so that when they come, it doesn't have to mean that there is no productivity in your business.  One of the greatest challenges of owning your own business is sometimes having that feeling that you should be doing more.  That is the brilliance of having a goal and a plan in place!  When you know what you need to do when you need to do it (and you actually do it), you'll be able to rest easy when you are taking time away from your business!

I want to leave you today with this inspirational piece about time that I found...

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE-SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.

Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!

Time is like money in a bank...now go make some serious deposits into your account! 

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

Theodore Roosevelt said "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!"  How does that translate into life and into your business?  When starting a new business, it's our job to become experts in our fields and master the skills.  Yet, when you're sitting in front of your clients it doesn't matter how much you know if your clients don't think they can trust you.  

What is it that builds trust?  Becoming a master listener.  Before you start spewing out all the facts & figures, get to know your client so that you can tailor your presentation to THEIR needs.  Does it mean that you have to do a new presentation each time?  Of course not.  But if you take the time to understand who your client is, you can focus on the appropriate products that most benefit her.

Mary Kay used to say, take the dollar signs out of your eyes when you are with your clients.  If you will just take the time to learn what her needs are then the money will come.  I remember one time I had a client who wanted to purchase our entire collection and then wanted to add some additional products.  The problem was that I knew that the the products in the collection were already addressing the same needs as the additional products she wanted to purchase.  If I was just about the sale, I would have allowed her to purchase it all.  However, my goal is to make sure that I service my clients and build the trust between us.  When I recommended she not purchase the additional products she was shocked and genuinely thankful that I didn't let her buy what was not necessary.  As a result, anytime we have a new product that I know would benefit her she buys it sight unseen and has never been disappointed!  Trust is the difference between having a one-time sale and a lifetime client! 

Your clients just want to know that you have their best interest in mind.  Here's one more question to ask yourself to determine if you are a great listener.  With every person you come into contact with today, ask yourself what you learned about him/her.  If you can't answer that question, it means that you were doing all the talking... about you!  The greatest blessing is when each person that encounters you feels better about themselves after spending time with you.  So remember... people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Jim Rohn said "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with".  Without thinking too hard, who are the last 5 people you spent time with?  Everyone you come into contact with counts.  Is it your Mom who says she believes in you but then comes over and "re-washes" your dishes?  Is it your co-worker in the next cubicle who is constantly complaining (even if it's not directed at you)?  Is it your significant other who asks about your day and waits to hear what you have to say with anticipation?  Is it a motivational speaker on a CD that you may not know personally but you listen to on the way home every day? Is it your favorite TV show about crime investigation?  Yes, I am including EVERYTHING that speaks into your life.  Whether you realize it or not, ANYTHING that enters your brain will affect you.  Let me give you 2 examples...

Have you ever watched a movie where the lawyer baits the witness to get angry on the stand... and the opposing lawyer yells "objection!"?  You've probably heard the judge say to the jury disregard what just happened.  Really?  Whether we think it affects or not, once we have witnessed or heard something, it does influence our thoughts and sometimes our decisions.

And, you've probably been seeing the wildfires right now in Arizona.  Once there is a fire burning near you, you can't realistically believe that the fire can pass through you without causing damage right?  Well, I think that's one of the best visuals for seeing what happens when you allow the people around you to poison your mind.  

You see, your thoughts influence your belief and confidence which in turn influence your actions which of course influences your results.  Your success begins with your thoughts.  Anything that enters your mind through your eyes & ears does affect your thoughts.

So, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  What are your action items?  This is not permission for you to divorce your spouse or cut off your family.  This is not permission for you to tell other people that they need to be more positive.  However, you can certainly limit what you share with those people in your life that you notice don't respond or contribute to you positively.  If you have noticed that your friends are constantly bringing you down, maybe you can spend less time with them or guide exactly HOW you spend time with them.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1) What kind of person am I to the people around me?  Would I choose to spend more time with me or less?  Change starts with you.

2) With those that I spend time with, do I feel better or worse about myself when I've been around them?

3) Since we are an average of those around us, do I spend time with people who are where I want to be?

4) Do I spend time with people who challenge me to be better than I am?

5) Am I willing to get uncomfortable in order to improve myself?

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  Who do you need to spend less time with?  How can you improve your circle of influence?  This concept is so much more powerful than you will ever know!  Let's go out and raise the bar by being a person of excellence in everything we do!

Your past does not determine your future!

Sometimes we look at what we have accomplished in the past and determine what we can accomplish in the future based on that.  But, think about it.  If we always did that, we'd never have "firsts".  A first day at school.  A first trip on an airplane.  A first time speaking in front of people.  A first time holding a skin care party.  A first sale.  How about a first win?

Yesterday marked a "first" for young Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.  As much as I love to play sports, I don't watch very many.  But all week, Ross kept telling me about this twenty-something young man from Northern Ireland who was blowing the US Open out of the water.  Rory has been doing very well since becoming a pro in 2007, and has already had 1 PGA win...but this was his FIRST major.  If you're not familiar with golf, there are four tournaments each year that are considered to be the most prestigious and are often referred to as "the Majors" -- and the US Open is one of them.  

This young man has been playing very well since becoming a pro in 2007, but his performance at the Masters just a couple of months ago (also a Major) could have easily deterred most people from coming back anytime soon.  He entered the 4th day at the Masters in the lead by 4 strokes (a pretty good lead) and by the end he not only lost the tournament, he actually shot the worst round in history by any professional golfer leading after the third round of the Masters.  He went from being in 1st place at the beginning of the last day to finishing 15th!  For golf that's a big deal!

So first of all, think of how devastating that loss was to his confidence as a golfer.  Think how long do we sometimes carry a loss with us... the kind that can prevent us from moving forward?  He could have easily believed that he just didn't have what it took to be a professional golfer let alone win a Major!  But champions know that your past does not determine your future!

In this weekend's tournament, he led the pack from day one... just like he did at the Masters...and this time he entered the final day ahead of the next golfer by 8 strokes!  During his interview he said that he knew walking into the last day that with his lead, this was his to lose.  When asked about his devastating loss at the Masters, Rory said that his loss there taught him so much about himself.  You see, failures are not the end if we don't allow them to be.  Failures can be your stepping block to the next level.  If you choose to learn from your mistakes, they will make you even stronger the next time.

Your past is a huge part of who you will become.  Experience is what helps us to grow, but your past does NOT determine your future...you do!  What have you learned about yourself from a past failure - big or small?  I see you as a champion.  I believe you have everything it takes to have your "first".  What first will you have this week?

What does success look like for you?

Are you successful?  How do you know?  The truth is, YOU are the only one that determines whether you are successful or not.  Do you know why?  It's because each person has a vision of what success looks like based on their own perspective.  

Let me give you an example.  If you were the first person in your family to graduate from college, I'll bet your family rejoiced and that was a huge victory.  If you were born into a family of Harvard graduates, then just graduating from college was probably not good enough.  

If you started your business for some extra shoe money, then an extra $50 a week profit is successful -- well I guess it depends on how many new pairs you want a week :).  If you started your business to replace your $35,000 a year income, then $700 a week profit is successful... if you started your business to pay for your child's $50,000 a year tuition, then $1000 a week profit is successful.  What does success look like for you?   

Maybe you didn't start your business for the money at all...if you started for the fun, coming to our weekly gatherings may define success for you.  Or maybe, pampering women and playing with make-up is your definition of fun.  If you started because you really need a new car, then earning the use of a free one may define success for you.  

Maybe your goal is to replace your income, but the real definition of success to you is having the ability to take your kids to school in the morning and picking them up every afternoon... or maybe the real definition of success is having the choice to live according to your values instead of someone else's.

The point is that your definition of success belongs to you and even if you have the same "business goal" as someone else, that goal is simply a vehicle to drive you to your success.   

Why am I talking about this?  Well 2 reasons.  First, most people have never defined what success looks like to her.  Not what other people say is successful... what YOU envision success to be.  Take time to figure that out and you'll know what you're working for and I promise your daily efforts will become joyful!  Don't just figure out WHAT success is, also dig deep and understand WHY you define success the way that you do.  How will your life be different when you are living your vision?  Why is it important that you reach that place?  And why now?  

Secondly, we tend to compare ourselves to others.  We look at our colleague and think - she moved up so fast.. what's wrong with me?  She earned her car so quickly...what's wrong with me?  The best advice I can give you is that once you determine what your picture of success looks like - and you understand what your daily activity will need to build to in order to get there - stand fast to your personal goals.  Put your blinders on and don't worry about what anyone else is doing and it will keep you on YOUR path to your success.

If I called you all over to come over and help me with an urgent project to move 1000 20-lb sandbags from the left side of the street to the right side of the street and said that success means that we'll get all of those sandbags moved, we'd get started.  But if that's all I told you, I'll bet that after a few trips back and forth we'd stop and take a break or maybe even quit.  

Instead, what if I told you that the dam broke and the water was heading our way?  And we have to move 1000 20-lb sandbags from the left side of the street to the right side of the street right now or else everyone in our neighborhood will lose their homes!  I'll bet we would all work with a different sense of urgency.  I'll bet we would take a lot less breaks and I'll bet we wouldn't quit.  Yes?

What does success look like for you and how will your life be different when you are living your vision?

If nothing changes, nothing changes!

Welcome to Day 1 of MK90X!  If you have been on our calls then you know exactly what this is all about and if you haven't?  You will now!  

I have been on the extreme home fitness program that most of you know about called P90X for the last 32 days straight.  Every workout is different and they are definitely not for beginners.  But my friends in my networking group were doing it and I could visibly see a positive change in how they looked, their energy and just their overall attitude.  While I'm not in horrible shape I knew that if I wanted to jump start a new chapter of my life with enthusiasm I'd have to do something different -- plus I love a challenge and I knew this was not going to be easy!

The first week was hard on my body but easy to stay motivated because it was fun.  By about week 3 it got harder to wake up an hour earlier every morning but I kept going because I knew that it was working even though I couldn't visibly see all the results yet.  Now I'm on week 5 and I'm having fun again!  Now I really can tell that I've made progress -- I'm stronger, more excited about everything in general and I can even get through almost every workout now!  Why am I sharing all of this?  Well, I had something in my life that I didn't love and I knew that if nothing changes, nothing changes.  I made a decision that I not only wanted something different, but I was also willing to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT immediately!


I made a decision before I started that I wasn't just going to "give P90X a try"... I was going to stay committed to it long after the emotional high of the commitment was gone.  So, the question is, do you love where you are in your Mary Kay business and your life?  Or is it possible that making a commitment to do something different just might be what it takes to jump start your new chapter? 

Enter MK90X.  Our new 90-day program!  You can be in a totally different place just 90 days from now.  In fact, you are where you are right now in your business because of the efforts & attitude you have had towards your business in the last 90 days.  Think back... is that about right?  MK90X is not about extreme, unreasonable time and activity.  It is quite simply 90 days of extreme commitment to your business... to your future.  You are in complete control of your future and I think you'll be surprised how quickly you can build the foundation of a consistent, profitable, exploding business!  So are you game?  If so, email your director and let her know and you'll get your first assignment!  P90X has a simple but powerful tagline... Decide.  Commit.  Succeed.  Step 1?  DECIDE!  Make today count!