Eat Like You Mean It

I’ve let real life get in the way of blog entries this week, and for that, I apologize. I did warn you early on that I may not be able to write daily but I did hope to write a few times a week. My boutique is going well and I’m still waiting on t-shirts for both my boutique collection and my Be Plexy collection. I change out my display lobby of the boutique at the 1st of each month so now everything will be switching from yellow to pink. August is my survivor-versary month so I will be including my Couture Bras for a Cause in the display and since it is also my Coming Out and Merchandise Launch party for Plexus, I will also put some Be Plexy signage and tees there too.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks; and when I say crazy, I mean, yes…there may have been a day...or four, that I wasn’t eating as I should or even remembering to take all of my Plexus goodies. But, when I said I was going to be transparent that is exactly what I meant. No matter how great any product is, we still have real lives and stuff happens and it is only as great when you remember to take it. No one to blame but myself.

Three weeks ago tomorrow, we drove three hours north to Kansas to pick up my dream camper. Okay, she may not seem like much now but she will be. I was going to rescue a Frito Lay truck and that didn’t work out but the name “Frita O’Lay” stuck during our entire search for the new “Frita”. We found her online and were elated that hubby got enough time off from work to fetch her. In the weeks since attaining her; taking down walls, and ceilings; and dreaming of her new look, Frita took on a life of her own. Her makeover has not yet begun and still she screamed for a name much more befitting her destination. Frita was completely appropriate for a Frito Lay truck but our new girl has decided she is Holly….Holly Goes Lightly. You see, in the weeks since her arriving home, I have also learned that people don’t just refer to their campers with a name, they actually paint it somewhere on their skins; much like boats. So, Holly Goes Lightly fits her perfect at being just 6ft x 8ft and weighing in at a “skinny” 1,100 pounds. We are soooo excited. But, again… I digress.



Everyone...meet Holly Goes Lightly
(and my daughter, Baby...to show scale. :) )

That Friday began as any other, and I was bound and determined to stay on track with my Plexus no matter the road trip ahead. I drank my pink drink. I took my pills. I even packed celery sticks in a baggie and brought extra waters. This road trip would not be the downward spiral to my very meager one week success of one pound. (Slow progress is better than no progress) BUT, we were barely an hour into the trip before a stop came. A stop which included Taco flavored Doritos. I planned to just eat a few. Um… plan out the window. That was the beginning of the end. The next stop kept the “Mexican” theme going but switched to something sweeter; a Choco Taco. My excuse for them both was that I couldn’t remember the last time I had EITHER of them. Note to self: Just because I don’t remember how long ago I ate crap food, doesn’t mean I need to eat crap food; let alone all in one day. Yes… I proceed to get this awesome camper but when we got home from such a long day and since I had already ruined my perfectly Plexus day… I went for it. We ordered pizza. But wait, it gets better.

That entire week was a series of bad decisions. Aside from the fact that it was entirely too hot to even begin demolition on our new acquisition, I proceeded to eat fast food a couple more times and hubby never once scolded me, but seemed grateful that he wasn’t fending for himself since I had done “healthy” for dinner and he wanted hot dogs or something else, clearly not part of my Plexus regime. I remember I had Carl’s Jr. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t as bad as other burger joints because their burgers are grilled, not fried. Who was I kidding? It was only then that I got a wake up call from the very SODA filled cup I got when picking up my “healthy” cheeseburger. “Eat like you mean it” was printed on the cup and I giggled to myself before dropping my French fry then and there. I’m not going to tell you that I won’t slip again but the week long stint of NOT doing what I knew I should was over. “Eat like you mean it.” I didn’t mean to pick up the first Dorito. I didn’t mean to order pizza and stop at other fast food joints; really not even stopping but slowing down through a drive thru. I didn’t mean to give up my healthy choices and decision making for a few stomach aches I thought were worth it.

I cheated and got on my scale a couple of times before my typical Tiara Tuesday… I had gained three pounds. Note to self: NEVER get on the scale in between weigh in days. I was in a BAD mood and couldn’t be mad at anyone by myself. Surprisingly enough…when weigh in day came, I had still managed to lose a couple of pounds. Um…what??

I have been on Plexus for three full weeks and my one month weigh in will be on Tuesday, August 5th. I have managed to lose 6 total pounds in three weeks. I measured at week one weigh in and will be measuring at the end of each month (hoping to see numbers moving down the tape measure).

I have made better choices since my little detour and I feel better; both for taking control back…again, and for seeing the numbers on the scale moving down instead of up. I know it won’t be 1, 2, or 3 pounds lost every week and that doesn’t matter. I know that slow progress is better than no progress and with the support system I have and my Coming Out and Merchandise Launch party just two weeks away… I want to keep riding this pink ride and I’m hoping that others will see something in me AND this company to wanna ride with me. My energy is fantastic. I still don’t sleep much (let’s face it…that won’t be changing any time soon) BUT the sleep I do get (usually 5ish hours) is great sleep. I feel rested when I wake up in the morning and that is worth it. I’m not sure which of the products I’m taking is responsible for the way I feel but I’ll just keep taking them all to be on the safe side.

I’m grateful for my friends that are there for me and don’t make me feel like poop for “falling off the wagon” but instead pull me back up and welcome me on like it was the first time. I’m excited for September to roll around so that I can open up Simply Parties for our Be Plexy Weigh Ins and Sip and Sees each week. I want to be the support for others that has so quickly been given to me. I am excited to “…build each other up as we already are doing.” (2 Thessalonians)

Looking forward to blogging again. I have a crazy week of new boutique merchandise, parties to plan, and projects to finish but I’ll be back here MUCH sooner than I came back this time. Please know that it is ALWAYS my goal to be honest and my delay in blogging this week was NOT because I “slipped” into Mexican junk food. Trust me… I will ALWAYS share the ups AND the downs of my journey because you and I both know there will be times I help you up…and other times that I will be looking for you to help me.

Hips Don't Lie

So, this would be entries 7 and 8…or at the very least 7 for the 60 Day Challenge BUT, I’ve decided that I will continue that challenge via Facebook only and no longer be blogging about it. The real reason mainly; in writing out my challenges for those days is this…it got to be a lot more about how I am going to build my business of Plexus (actually, I think the entire challenge is about that) and not sharing my stories of “Plexus, the journey.” I am new to this company; going on a whopping two weeks, and where that IS part of my journey with Plexus, I felt it was getting too “preachy and pushy” in the “you should sell Plexus with me kinda way and I want this to be about OUR journey through this together. I want to tell you what’s working, what I’m struggling with; the differences I feel…and don’t feel. We can always chat business if you see something in me or my journey that you want to share in regards to the pocketbook and not just the waistline but I wanted to redirect the blog to be more about this “relationship” we’re building and not the “business” I’m building.

I got caught up in participating and completing the challenges of the team that I haven’t gotten to be me for a little bit. Well, it was a great conversation starter and I was glad to share part of the business of Plexus with you, but I’ve missed being able to share what I want.

This weekend, someone that really doesn’t matter but felt their place to “word vomit” on me, said something that I wanted to address to my peers.

Long ago, I put a lot of stock in what others thought of me; some would say that I did nothing that didn’t make me look good or that I didn’t think others would approve of. Those days were part of what we so lovingly refer to as the PJ Era. (Pre-Jesus Era). Don’t get me wrong, I do still care what people think but not to the point that every decision I make hinges on it. I want to do what is right and I hope that those around me see Christ in me and not me doing things to I make myself look better; especially at the expense of others. But, back to the comment at hand. She told me (and I wished I had known I was going to blog about it…I would have saved it word for word, but will just have to summarize to the best of my recollection) “You aren’t the local celebrity you think you are. No one cares about every little thing you do. (Something, something… ) nothing but a narcissist” (Um...okay)

The definition of Narcissist: A person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish.

People that know me, know that I’m not an overly self-involved, vain or selfish person. In fact I like to think I am quite the opposite. There was a time that an opinion like this of me would have mattered; those days are looong gone. I share this story with you, not to fluff myself up and get an opportunity to talk about how selfless I am… lol, but simply to say this blog is a transparency of me. It is something that I feel passionately enough about to share. It is not some show of self-importance or to pretend I’m a “local celebrity” or that I am anyone better than who I hope reads it. It is my form of accountability; to those I know, and those I don’t. Period.

Now…back to our regularly scheduled program blog. Well, not so regular as the case may be since it has been a few days.

I got so caught up with the challenge of my Facebook group team challenge, that I didn’t post an entry about my Week One progress. Sorry about that.

Totally not me but....
the way I feel right now!

Yes, I really weigh in on Tuesdays so I can wear my tiara and make the number seem insignificant, no matter which way it goes. I wear tiaras every Tuesday; perhaps this is the real reason “my friend” accused me of trying to be a local celebrity…but I honestly know NO local celebrities that do this so I’m certain that couldn’t be it…but I digress, as I so often do. Week One was full of questions and tryouts. Questions from my “friends higher up in the biz” asking me if I was seeing or feeling a difference. I answered in a nonchalant way of “kinda” and “not really” so as not to feel as if I was “drinking the Koolaid.” (You know…following suit and jumping on the bandwagon because they were into it) The truth is, after about five days… I was feeling a difference. Again, not in the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, immediate transformation kinda way but in a “I feel rested and energetic and like I am taking charge of my health” kinda way. As those that know me will tell you; I need no more energy. I go and go and am constantly moving from one project or business need to the next. I literally bounce from boutique to tea party set up to sewing project to design project…all day, every day. I love doing what I love despite it seeming like lots of work to those outside of my situation. I don’t sleep much but lately, the sleep I get has seemed more restful. I generally sleep about 5 to 6 hours a night but have felt like it was 8 or 9 upon waking up.

I have been taking the ProBio5, BioCleanse, and Plexus Slim. Not sure what is doing what but my cravings are down considerably. The sweets that I used to fiend for, the minute my hubby walked in from work are gone. I no longer want/need the midday candy bar or find myself sneaking upstairs from my boutique to get a spoonful or two of frosting. (Don’t judge) The number on the scale didn’t move much; although I have to admit…I stepped on the scale one day (or two) in the interim and it moved from 221.6 to 219ish. BUT, when it came to Tiara Tuesday – the weigh in edition; the Week One number was 220.0. Down just 1.6 pounds but what I gained seemed more important; energy and confidence was a better deal. My friends asked if I measured since sometimes you see inches before pounds. Um, nope. Forgot that. So, I measured after weighing in and let’s just say “Hips Don’t Lie”. The numbers were staggering and I can only hope in sharing their specifics now, that I will be able to show their less staggering specifics later.


Not your typical "Before and After" pic, but it's a start. 

Chest - 45”, Arms - 15”, Hips - 49.5”, Waist - 44”, Stomach - 49”, Thighs - 28”

There ya have it. Those numbers all add up to size 16 and 220.0 pounds. Numbers aren’t as important as I once made them out to be but I would love for them to be lower. If this is what a “local celebrity” looks like, I don’t want to be one anymore. <wink>

I know, I know… today is the end of Week Two and I am due to weigh and measure again. I promise to get caught up and fill you in ASAP.

BUT, there is a matter of “Road Trip to Frita” to blog about first. That entry will be next.

A Little Homework

DAY 5 and DAY 6 - 60Day Challenge

Go into your back office and FIND the compensation plan. Read it until you fully understand it. If there is something you don’t understand, then post your question in the comments on this thread. Know what it is we have to offer!! Explain the compensation plan to someone twice this week (doesn’t matter who) and then continue to do it twice weekly.

Take a “Before” picture. If you already have one then take a picture now and create a Before & Now or After set of pictures! Now for the hard part; when you have your Before and After photos done…POST THEM!! Before and After photos of others work well, especially if you don’t have any of your own, but the credibility that comes with the Before and After pictures being YOU is something that someone else’s photos cannot give you!! Some Before and After photos are also of rashes, scars, nail growth, clearer skin, blood glucose monitor screens, etc…

My apologies for squeezing two challenge days into one post but aside from the fact that I was busy picking up Frita and driving three hours across straight lines each way to get her; these challenges were just that….CHALLENGES.

The compensation plan for Plexus is fantastic…and I only understand a few of the ways we get paid with the company and I think there are 11 different ones each month; depending on the level of Ambassador(ship) you achieve. The first, most obvious “payday” to me is that I purchase my products at wholesale cost instead of retail or preferred customer cost; saving money and therefore keeping in my pocket for something else.

I know that the challenge was to find the compensation plan (done). Read it until I FULLY understand it (Um…not done) post questions on the challenge page in comment (Um…not done), but I will chat more with my upline about it this week… I promise. And, then explain the compensation plan twice weekly to two people (Um…my guess is that more than two people will see this blog entry a week and will know that I am figuring it out and will answer questions as it comes up because in another week… I will master this).

I have learned from my upline (I really need to think of something cooler and less “pyramid” sounding than that to call them…. Um, my friends higher up in the biz) that Plexus is rewarding to body and pocketbook. I have included the “payday plan” below and I know it will be second nature to me one day but that day isn’t today.

 

My “friends higher up in the biz” accumulate points with each Ambassador that signs up to sell Plexus with them. At the end of each month, those points, along with other ways to accumulate them (which shall remain nameless because I don’t know what the heck they are) are added up and paid for based on stock in the company. I “think” from what I heard from Heather, my closest “friend higher up in the biz” that the company takes 50% of what is made each month and divides that into dollars for each point. For example: If stock is $3/share then each Ambassador is paid $3/point in addition to their earnings that month. Their earnings are based on sales of the product (commission) as well as bonus dollars for particular products.  There are also “One time bonuses” awarded for achieving certain Ambassador levels. As you can see from my “payday plan” picture, I will receive a $100 bonus when I reach the level of Silver Ambassador; which is 3 qualified Ambassadors signing up to be on team “Be Plexy” with me.

Again…I believe there are 11 different ways in which Plexus can be a blessing to ANY household. Speaking of blessings…I think I will have Bridget (another “higher up in the biz” friend) write a guest blog for us that would better explain them all. Bridget is a Ruby Ambassador and knows her stuff.

As far as the Before and After picture challenge of Day 6, we already know how I feel about those BUT, I did not get an opportunity to blog after Week One was finished on Wednesday and will be following up this blog with an entry that specifically addresses that week on its own merit. As for now, one week in…my Before and After looks a little something like this.

I’m just like you. I want to make a difference for my family; both in the way I am living and what I may bring to the table in the form of helping to fill a pocketbook.

I’m new to Plexus but not new to the feeling I get when I know I am doing something right; even if that is just deciding to change a few things that may benefit many. This may not be the blog that changes your life because I don’t pretend to know it all….YET. But, this could be the blog that gets you to thinking “maybe there is something to this and I’m not too far behind Gidget that we could learn it together.”

Answer the Phone...It's for YOU

DAY FOUR - 60 DAY CHALLENGE

The Challenge today: Be on tonight's Opportunity Conference Call with a guest! Our Company growth is due to real people's personal testimonies and will continue to grow with this amazing resource. Educate yourself about the products & what they are doing for people by being on these calls every Wednesday night, the more testimonies you hear, the more you can relate to your customers and ambassador needs. The more you KNOW about our products, the more you will believe in them. So ... let’s do our part and make a point to listen in and have as many others listening in with us as possible.

The calls are only about 15 minutes on average

Remember to pass those cards out and also to write a name on your PINK DRINK for Share a Pink Drink Day and post on your Facebook and tag as many of your teammates as you can and post in the comment section below.

It was quite by accident that I remembered the call tonight; in fact I remembered it just about ten minutes before it’s start and dialed in. There was confusion in the number and then I thought I had missed it due to time zones. I was disconnected because the host never started the call; um…oops, the number was changed and I didn’t realize it. I could have taken it as a sign and not pursued it. The call lasts just fifteen minutes after all; I’ll catch it next week. BUT, I messaged my upline and she knew of the number change, sent it to me, and I was still on in time to not miss a thing. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Part of the challenge was to jump on the call with a guest. Um… oops. Missed that part too. 0 for 2 but I still managed to make it work. It was my first call so I’m not certain if the format is always the same but I liked it. The beginning was the host/hostess giving a brief synopsis of the Plexus products. I liked the idea BUT, you could tell she did it all the time. She spoke quickly as if reading from something and not clearly enough to understand. I am VERY new and don’t know lots about the products but I’m getting there. If I did have someone with me on the call, I would really be relying on the expertise of the host to mention the products slow enough that if there was something I hadn’t yet mentioned to my guest, they could hear it and ask me a question about it at the end.

Next were introductions. There were to be two Ambassadors with Health Testimonials and one Ambassador with a Business Testimonial. I love that even with three speakers, the call was to last just 15 minutes so as not to take too much of our guests time. If they were longer calls, I would love to invite guests to Simply Parties (aka our clubhouse) and we could jump on the calls together, with a quick question and answer period afterwards; maybe incorporate them into Sip and Sees. I’ll have to look into that further. The downside is that they take place every Wednesday and that interferes with church schedules too.

The two Health Testimonials were great; similar enough in the shared “life changing” premise but different enough to give perspective. One lost 110 pounds and off of seven medications in a year, the other losing 23inches and 12 pounds in about 4 months and also off of medications that she used daily. The Business Testimonial was very interesting to me since she achieved the level of Emerald Ambassador in the span of just one year. She has 1300 Ambassadors on her team and she is going to quit her job that she has been unhappily working at for 14 years, in just two more weeks.

I managed to see a benefit with the company and the products just from those around me and not having participated on a call of this kind before. I do, however, love the idea of being able to share this with someone that may be interested in taking the products with me or “standing up and slimming down” as part of Be Plexy and the many other Plexus Ambassadors changing their lives and the lives of those around them; one pink drink at a time.

The second part of our challenge for today was to take a picture of our Pink Drink and tag people that we wanted to share it with on “Share a Pink Drink Day”. I’d like to share mine with you; wherever you are…reading this. If you are local, call me, text me, (918) 497-7043, find me on Facebook, or simply comment on this blog to come to one of our Sip and Sees on any given Tuesday evening. If you aren’t local and want to try it with me virtually; call me, text me, find me on Facebook or send an email: gidget@beplexy.com to and I’ll make sure to get it out to you before the next Opportunity Call.

You will see that I like to be a little fancy; in fact I’m adding “fancy” to the “Faith. Fitness. Fun….and Fancy” part of our blog. I don’t like anything in plastic, I love to eat on china every day of the week (even my dog drinks water out of a china bowl), and I love, love cloth napkins for just about any occasion. (We don’t even allow paper napkins at the clubhouse). My drink is from a champagne glass and I really do add cucumber to mine. I’m not a fan of the super sweet flavor of the “pink drink” but I wasn’t going to let something like that stop me from the benefits she provides.

 

What are you letting keep you from a better version of yourself?

How can Plexus and Be Plexy help?

What's in a Leader?

DAY THREE - 60 DAY CHALLENGE

Part B - for our brand new people that haven't received your business cards yet : your task is to find at least 4 ranking leaders in your upline, friend them, introduce yourselves and begin to read over their Facebook. See what they are posting, watch what they are saying, mimic them, follow them and duplicate their success. Beginning today, your challenge for the entire 60 days to success is to post at least once a day about Plexus. It can be something you copy from one of your leaders or something personal you love about the products or how they make you feel.

Heather McGehee Sieng

Heidi McGehee
Bridget Lawhead
Celeste Nevil Gwynn

Part A: was to put our Plexus business cards out and about and share via picture the craziest place one was left. Since I am just a novice to Plexus and don’t yet have cards, my challenge was Part B. The challenge was both super easy and incredibly hard. I didn’t know where to begin since my direct uplines are friends of mine; the two directly above me (which I hate to say and imply the dreaded Pyramid dynamic… I promise to blog how much IT ISN’T like that in the future) are sisters and are my personal friends. I have known Heidi for over two years and Heather, whose team I joined, for just about 4 months. They are leaders to me and I have been watching their Facebook posts for a while now; enough to begin asking real questions about this real business, but I digress…. as I often do.

I have met Bridget in person just twice but she is the direct upline from Heidi and they have been friends forever; Bridget graduating with Heidi’s sister, Heather. Have you figured out where I’m going yet?

Trust. Relationship. Loyalty.

There is a pattern of success and the desire to share it with those closest to you. What I have seen in Facebook posts for more than just the “like, introduce, follow, mimic, and duplicate” direction of this challenge is layering. For over a year, I have seen what Heidi and Bridget have done; both in seeing them around town and noticing the attention they draw to Plexus via social media. I have seen a perfect mix of information and family photos. I have noticed the attention to detail and the genuine ability to want to show people how to get what they have achieved. I have noticed firsthand the consistency it takes from a leader to nurture relationships with a balance of educating and promoting of healthier lifestyles both in body and pocketbook.

In the four months that I have been following Heather I have learned what she does to get what she wants. There has been a fast and easy relationship with heartfelt empowerment. The need to put God first while clinging and appreciating the friendship he has put before us. I love the humility that comes from her posts via health facts about Plexus and the transparency in her health struggles and family needs; the openness she is willing to share to allow people to see they are not the only ones that may have issues that need attention. Her family is first and foremost to her and seeing them be a product of the product is encouraging. The best part of “liking and following” her social media is to see how her husband has grown in his own business. He was a supporter in such that he allowed her the “business of Plexus” but didn’t pursue or live the business himself. He was taking some products as any good hubby would, but it was something that his wife did….until he went to convention in June; which I also followed along via newsfeeds and status updates. It has been awesome to see the invigoration that he, himself is exuding now and hope that my husband may one day emulate; thinking it his very own idea of course.

I did learn, while playing Nancy Drew; that the person just over Bridget isn’t really active but is still able to collect a payday from all that is done below her. We’re a branch from something she was interested in and started long ago and one that should be lucrative for all accounts and purposes to anyone pursuing it. Bridget taught herself via the many resources available to her online and those around her; being driven to succeed by the product and not necessarily those that came before her. I imagine it wasn’t easy but she has made it look that way…at least from where I sit; coffee nearby and pink laptop in my lap.

I was to find a fourth leader to “like, introduce, follow, mimic, and duplicate.” Now one may think that to mimic and duplicate would be the same things. I know I did. But, for the sake of this business and a point I think I may have already made; they are different. To mimic would be to copy and paste things they have posted that you, too, want to share. To do as they do in forms of walking the walk…an action word. Duplicate in this instance, at least to me… is to duplicate where they are now in their level of business. To achieve the status of Ruby, Emerald or Diamond. BUT, to get there using the tools before us that we will “mimic” but forging our own path to the same result. Duplicate their current “level” while getting there on our own merits.

For example… I accepted Christ about five years ago. I had grown up in the church as you learned of me in a previous blog but when given the opportunity, I didn’t choose a relationship with Him. By the time mom and I had reconnected, I knew I wanted that relationship but had no idea where to begin. If I couldn’t forgive myself for my past, how on earth could He, or anyone else for that matter, forgive me. I had to follow my mom; mimic her in her walk with him until I could walk on my own. I would talk with her on the phone and ask what she was doing. She would reply “I’m reading John.” I would hang up the phone; and I too, would read John. I love to read and educate myself; it’s an addiction, really but hey…I can think of worse ones. I would mimic what she was doing; reading only authors or approved publishers that she trusted…I even kept a list with me in the event I strolled into a bookstore and felt like purchasing one. I now feel I have duplicated my mom in being a Christian woman; wife, mother, mentor, and friend. She has trusted me enough to know what types of books to read or other women to follow. I no longer carry the index card with “approved” publishers or authors but feel confident in the choices I make. It is because of this I feel I can do the same in looking to women in Plexus and see what they are doing; in hopes that the team I build will one day look to me and emulate what I have been doing.

The fourth “leader” I chose was the only other one I had heard of from Heather. When I decided to join Plexus, we came up with the name “Be Plexy.” I created a Facebook page and this blog. Heather has been my biggest cheerleader and has done what she can to promote these pages both as inspiration to others, either selling Plexus or not…and for the merchandising of Be Plexy, the brand within a brand. She passed my page along to a Diamond Leader in Anna, Texas; Celeste Nevil Gwynn and she “liked” me. I have “liked and followed” her back. I’m certain that at that level one is inundated quite regularly with friend requests or private messages sent. There was an introduction and a “love from afar…non-creepy, I’m watching you and want to be like you when I grow up” message sent. The one thing that stuck out to me was the photographs of her family. It looked like they were on holiday and it wasn’t just taking the kids somewhere to view the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls. They were interactive and physical; ziplining and hiking and swimming. They were all smiles as they were active participants in a true memory making experience. My girls are all older now but I can’t think of one holiday we took that could emulate that. No matter the success she has found in Plexus, I am certain in seeing these very personal photos of one holiday, that the real success she has found from this pink company…is in the smiles at home.

I want that. If success in this company can be success at home because I am healthier to do more things with my family; now including grandchildren…I want that.

If moments like those are icing on the cake then I am in for a great big piece of it.

Eat dessert first my friends. Let’s do it together.

Ready, Set, Goal !

DAY TWO - 60 DAY CHALLENGE

Get your Plexus goals for the next 30 days, the next 3 months, the next year. Right now.

I think it’s a bit early for the challenge to be this tough but as an Ambassador that is only on Day 6 “of the biz” it is really hard to come up with specific goals but I’ll do my best. I don’t want to do the vague “New Year Resolution…pick a number” kinda goals but a legitimate and very attainable ones. Hmmm

Here goes…

In 30 days (Well…32), I will be hosting my Coming Out and Merchandise Launch Party on August 15th, so I am using this as my goal day.    

I would love to have 100 unique visitors to my blog. Of those, I would like 25 to be local and interested in attending THE event of the Year to see what my journey in Plexus has brought thus far. We will be sipping the shakes and drinking “the drinks”; looking at new tshirt designs and giving away goodies. I would like to have a Plexus and Be Plexy display fully stocked and ready to represent a brand within a brand at Simply Lyla’s Boutique. I would also like to show a reduction of numbers in inches and pounds. I won’t throw specific numbers lost into the mix because, let’s face it… for as long as I’ve been doing absolutely nothing, ANYTHING will be a welcomed result; in 30 days, 3 months or in 1 year. I would also love to “Sip and Sign” 2 people to join me as Ambassadors at my event; bringing me to Senior Ambassador.

In 3 months, it will be mid-October. I would love to have enough numbers lost (in inches or in pounds, I’m not picky) that people will be able to see a measurable difference in my frame and I begin to gain some of that confidence to wear colorful horizontal stripes. I want less round in my rounded face and I may even buy a super cute costume to wear for Halloween. Not the “once a year excuse to be a hoochie kinda costume” but something that may show a little leg (okay, I would be happy with a little ankle) and something that needs a really great pair shoes to accessorize it. My anniversary is October 30th. No judging. It was a product of timing and not something we planned because it was “Day of the Dead.” My husband’s birthday is also in October; the 27th, so looking great on his arm to any restaurant would be a fabulous achievement as well.

Beginning in September, I will be hosting weekly “Sip and Sees” on Tuesday nights. My friend and upline, Heather and I, will also host twice weekly “Be Plexy” check ins. Similar to the Weight Watchers meetings, we will meet Monday mornings at 11am and Thursday evenings at 7pm. It will be a great time to weigh in, order product, ask questions, get more information, bring friends, and fellowship for an hour a week; providing the social interaction that makes everything better. Be Plexy meetings will be open to my preferred customers as well as Ambassadors and their customers as well.

Also within those 90 days, it is my hope to have “sipped and signed” 20 Ambassadors; standing up and slimming down together as part of Team Be Plexy.

In one year, I hope to be a few sizes slimmer or at least looking like it. I want to have at least TWO very colorful Kate Spade outfits in my closet; maybe even showing a little leg. And of course there will be fabulous shoes; looking nothing like my gomto cowboy boots, to accompany them. It is a lofty goal but one that I am certain to achieve. The level of Senior Gold Ambassador is 50 Ambassadors on my team. Can you imagine it? 50 of us on Team Be Plexy; living healthier lives that also help others to do the same. Our Be Plexy Collection will be all the rage. (Yes, I’m certain that people still say that). We will be successful because we will do it together. The Ambassadors as part of Be Plexy will do more than attend trainings together but get together monthly for Faith, Fitness, and Fun. “Although one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

Several scriptures that I look to when setting goals:

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”             1 Chronicles 15:7

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”      Psalm 20:4

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”     Matthew 17:20

And my personal favorites…. Yes, Paul said them. 
J

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”    Romans 12:2

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”      Philippians 4:8

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”      Philippians 3:13-14

The last scripture could not be more appropriately put: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it but… press on toward the goal to win the prize.”  I wouldn’t dream of pretending to know what I am doing or what comes next but I can’t imagine 
pressing on towards the goal for ANY prize without friends beside me.

What are you waiting for?

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

DAY ONE - 60DAY SUCCESS CHALLENGE


Like any company, there are levels. Entry level to CEO. In Plexus, the highest level to achieve is Diamond. (Again…love that the Ambassador levels are after fine gems). There are many levels between my “Hey, I just signed up and am only an Ambassador” and the Diamond level but it should be a goal to achieve nonetheless. Our Diamond Ambassador has created a “60 Days to Success” Challenge. We are to comment on the question every day on public thread, put it out there for others to see and to be accountable to another. I have no idea where this challenge will go or what types of questions will be posed to us but, as promised, I am going to be as transparent as possible with my Be Plexy journey and this will be included. I will give a short answer in the thread on a private Facebook page BUT, I will tell all via my blog for you to follow too. Besides, after all… my Plexus journey is more than the weight loss and helping you with the same. It’s about ALL that I hope to attain (and share) with this company.

Soooo, pull up those yoga pants, don your glasses if you need them and settle in. We’re on this 60 Days to Success challenge TOGETHER.

DAY ONE: Tell us your WHY. WHY do you want to succeed at Plexus? Be sincere. What can Plexus do for you that you never dreamed of doing or having? Tell us your WHY. WHY do you want to succeed at Plexus. Be sincere. What can Plexus do for you that you never dreamed of doing or having. Tell us your WHY. WHY do you want to succeed at Plexus. Be sincere. What can Plexus do for you that you never dreamed of doing or having.

My “Why”…like those before me started off with being healthy. But, to be healthy with a twist. I want to be healthy, sure, but wanting to do something, knowing you need to do something, and then actually doing something are completely different things.

I’ve been a bigger size and I’ve been a smaller size; granted it was a looong time ago but not so long ago that I don’t remember it. It seems I’ve been a size 16 forever. In fact, that is probably why I haven’t been in a hurry to change anything in a while. I’m going to be 46 in a few weeks, my husband loves me just as I am, and I haven’t had any health issues that have cropped up that made it necessary to lose the weight. So, back to being healthy with a twist. I want to be healthy and have decided to actually do something about it; but only because my motivating factor is to help others too. Who wouldn’t want to lose weight for the sake of their own health and waist line while helping others to lose weight AND make a business out of it as well? Get paid to help people AND drop a pant size (or two or three). Um, yes… sign me up. Add to that the fact that I get to put it in my boutique to be a conversation starter for those that see the display and take that first step and ask a question or two, and it was definitely a “win-win”. The twist to my “Why” is that I get to be paid to help someone else; which is really something I do for free every day, with no expectation of anything in return.

9 years ago I went on a “Go See” to try out for the “Biggest Loser” local edition. It was through a popular radio station and it was going to run two months. There were nearly 1,000 people at the event to select just 8 of us; four teams of two to be paired up with four different DJ personalities. We filled out the paperwork and then went into a room six at a time. It was a conference table; six chairs on one side and four DJs sitting on the other. I was surprised that the interview was an “open” interview and not “one on one” but totally understood the reasoning. I was in seat number five. The first question was asked of all of us: “Why should we pick you? What are three goals you have if we select you out of all of the others?” My heart leapt since it was then I realized that everyone was going to hear our answers; needing to be more impressive than the one before us and completely honest.

The answers before me didn’t vary much “I want to learn to be healthier.” “I want to be learn to eat better.” “I think I can lose the weight and help my team.” It was almost as if the person before them gave them the idea for what their goals were to be. The guy just before me had an original answer but I really had no idea why he would say it. “Um… I want to lose weight because I know I can. I’ve done it before.” Of course one of the DJs then asked a follow up question “What do you mean you’ve done it before?” He said that he had lap band surgery and lost over 100pounds before but gained it back because he didn’t really want to work out or eat better but now, he knew he could. I thought to myself: Why would anyone go through the expense and pain of surgery to lose weight and not do their absolute best to keep it off? Not to mention, it wasn't a reigning endorsement for the purpose of the contest we were interviewing for.

The questioning came to me. “Gidget, what three goals do you have if we select you?” I wanted to be healthier and eat better. I wanted to lose weight and help my team win but I had much simpler, original goals and decided that is what I would say. “Like those before me, I want to be healthy and eat better. I have a competitive spirit and would love to win as part of a team. But, my goals would be much simpler really; being a mom of three girls and a fairly recent breast cancer survivor. I want to tuck in my shirt. I can’t remember the last time I did that. I want to zip up a pair of jeans without dancing around on one leg or lying on my bed. And, I want to wear a belt. A belt that could be a fashion accessory and visible to those walking by; not covered by a larger shirt to disguise my muffin top that I created in holding up a pair of jeans.” Everyone laughed. I had added brevity to a strained situation through my candor but all of my goals were legitimate.

Long story short…I was selected as one of the eight. I was on the radio for five minutes each week of the challenge because I was personable and honest. I lost just 16pounds in that two months but 51inches. Our team didn’t win. I did tuck in my shirt, into a pair of jeans that were zipped up easier than those before them in quite some time. I think I was a size 14. Not thin by lots of standards but thinner and healthier in my own. In losing a bit of weight and inches; I gained confidence.  The numbers didn’t matter. I had taken a step in the right direction and that was a prize worth just as much to me as the trip the winning team received. (Okay, that part isn’t true but it sounds good).

I’m sure that everyone’s “Why” started off with getting healthy or getting the Plexus products at a wholesale price…and mine was no different. Just like my “Biggest Loser” days when our goals were the same. Everyone will create their own Plexus story; either by losing weight, getting off of medications, helping friends and family, or providing an income that wasn’t there before. We can all use the same means to entirely different goals.

Considering that I dream A LOT and I don’t think anything is impossible; I expect that from just about anything I attach myself to. The sky is the limit. Yes yes, I know that you can achieve a level of Emerald with Plexus (it may mean more to us later, but we’re new…remember?) and earn a Lexus. I don’t go anywhere. My businesses are three doors away from each other and I live in the flat above. WHEN I get to the point that I join a gym again… there is one just two doors away from our “clubhouse” so I won’t need to drive to the gym either. So, the goal of earning a Lexus is not one that I am looking to achieve. I am blessed to have a husband that provides for us and my businesses don’t have to sell or plan anything to stay open BUT, I would love for my Plexus business to pay for the renovations on a vintage camper turned glamper that we have JUST won the bidding on and I think she needs her own blog even though it has nothing to do with my Plexus journey. Well, she could be the “Fun” from our “Faith, Fitness, and Fun.” Right? Frita may not look like much now but I promise she is just like you and I...and worth the footwork.

I never dreamed of having one business on Main Street America, let alone two. I didn’t think I was bothered by losing weight or interested in helping others but this opportunity presented itself and I took it. I hope through this blog and my journey, you find a few things that you didn’t know you wanted either but now realize you can’t live without. I will help you get them. I pinky promise. Borrow my dreams and goals until you have some of your own. Leave a comment below and let me know what you are dreaming of that we can get together. I just signed up a week ago. If you want to “get out of the boat” and walk in faith with me… do it. No one is going to achieve our goals for us and no matter how different they are; we can get them on the same pink road.

UPDATE: I DID think of something I want that I didn’t dream of achieving without Plexus. I want to wear bold colors, horizontal stripes and no sleeves.

 

 

My favorite designer is Kate Spade. I love her whimsy, colors, patterns, and overall style. I do not however want to spend any significant amount of money on her clothing in the size I am now. Above you will see two pictures. The left depicts how I dress now; not a lot of color and always covering everything up. The right depicts what I am like on the inside; not the size but the fun personality that exudes from the dress alone…even if on a hanger in a size 12.

Yes, there are those of you saying that I can wear colorful, horizontal stripes and going sleeveless is always an option, no matter the size BUT… what IS needed for that look is confidence. Something of which I do not have and not even my two unexpected Main Street businesses, can give me ... but something that PLEXUS can.

What is your dream? Are you doing something to achieve it? Or do you just have faith that it will appear with no footwork involved?  J