Losing Baby Weight

I had my first three children in my early twenties. By the age of 28 I was home with 3 kids under the age of 4. I suffered the typical early pregnancy nausea with all three, but by the half way point I was back to myself. Running, lifting weights, taking on every project I could handle.

At 38, ten years after my youngest was born, and remarried, I was shocked to discover I was pregnant. I had always heard horror stories about others' pregnancies and now that was me. In addition to being sick and nauseous the entire first half of the pregnancy, I became virtually disabled. I looked like a cute pregnant lady on the outside, but I was STRUGGLING to walk, to stand upright, to breath. And I am talking way more than what should be considered normal. Walking around the grocery store made me feel as though I was going to pass out. My heart rate would go through the roof. I couldn't even make my bed, cook a meal, or carry my purse without feeling faint. We couldn't get answers. Doctors would say it was "just pregnancy". But that wasn't what pregnancy looked like in my 20's? HA! Well I wasn't 20 anymore.

Due to nausea, sickness, flu, physical disability, eventual bed rest, and so on, I didn't workout AT ALL. For a fit mom, who lifted weights, ran, and did bootcamp classes, I was just dumbfounded that my body was turning on me so quickly. Carbs were the only food that settled my stomach. Eating right was the least of my concerns, as I was miserable. The weight came on, my legs started rubbing together, my boobs started to sweat, and I became an inactive whale. I never weighed myself the entire time. I just didn't want to know. At the doctor's office, I would look the other way, and demand my husband do the same.

The moment my 9.5 pound buddle was born I felt amazing, and was on a slow road to recovery. I researched and googled articles on weight loss while breast feeding and didn't find much. Of course dieting isn't recommended for nursing moms and everyone says nursing takes the weight off fast. HA! I don't know about that. Here is how I approached my journey to regaining my body. I hope this helps you.

1- "Focus on activity not results" 

We all want to lose weight, we all want to get healthy. The way to that end goal is through teeny, tiny, little habits, which I will share below. Someone once told me that to climb the highest, steepest part of the mountain, they climb at night. The reason was because if you could see how far you were from the top, you would give up. By climbing at night, you can only see the very next step. So my advise? For baby weight loss and general weight loss? Don't weigh yourself daily. When the number was high? I would get upset and discouraged. When the number was low, I would get lazy. Weight yourself twice a month, all the while sticking to the habit changes below.

 

2- Water

I know this isn't novel info. We all know it's important. But how do we make our gallon-a-day duty a habit? My small habit change was filling 6 large Turvis cups first thing in the morning and placing one at each place I travel throughout the day, making it easy to make the right choice. One on the bed stand, one on my vanity, one at the sink, one in the kitchen, two at my desk, one next to the nursing chair... Everywhere! You could fill a gallon each day and leave on your desk if you work out of the home. No sweet tea, no orange juice, no soft drinks, no diet sodas (they trigger the same sugar cravings in your brain that non-diet soda does). One last reminder- our brains' signal for hunger and thirst feel the same, so drink a full glass of water when you feel hungry, before eating, just to make sure your body isn't just thirsty.

HYALURONIC ACID

Recently I watched a video on selling. Something struck a cord with me. The speaker said, "No one wants to buy from a sales person, they always prefer to buy from an expert." I know this is true for me, especially in areas I know nothing about. I recently bought a refrigerator for the house. I am standing in the local hardware store with my mouth gaping open, completely overwhelmed, a sea of stainless steel in front of me. I needed someone to guide my decision based on their knowledge of the pricing, quality, and manufacturers. That is exactly what happened. On the flip side, I have experienced sales people that are not knowledgeable or wishy washy, unable to give to definitive answers, and I withhold my purchase.

That got me thinking. One, that is exactly how I have sold my product successfully over the years. When someone asks, "what do you recommend?" I give clear, definitive answers and reasons to back it up. Two, my sales force needs to have this same confidence in their products and ingredients. My goal is to help my girls understand products on a much deeper level, help them grow in confidence, so that customers will see the value of the product and the knowledge we provide. 

We began this journey with BC's very best seller... Tight, Firm, and Fill Extreme Tri-Peptide Serum. Retailing for $99 per bottle, I can barely keep it in stock. Once a customer begins to use it regularly, going without it is NOT an option. One of the main ingredients is hyaluronic acid, so this is where we started. This video is a wonderful place to begin. It is about how scientists discovered HA and the anti-aging power it possesses. Love the back story? Here it is.

WHAT IS HA?
Hyaluronic acid (also known as a glycosaminoglycan) is often touted for its ability to "reverse" or stop aging. In news reports, you might have heard of hyaluronic acid as the "key to the fountain of youth." This is because the substance occurs naturally (and quite abundantly) in humans and animals, and is found in young skin, other tissues, and joint fluid. Hyaluronic acid is a component of the body's connective tissues, and is known to cushion and lubricate. As you age, however, the forces of nature destroy hyaluronic acid. Diet and smoking can also affect your body's level of hyaluronic acid over time. Skin care products with hyaluronic acid are most frequently used to treat wrinkled skin.
Skin care products containing this substance are often used with vitamin C products to assist in effective penetration.
 
TALKING POINTS: 

• was discovered to be the "fountain of youth" in Chinese village in 2012 

• HA naturally occurs in the body

• our production of HA dramatically declines as we age

• can retain 10,000 times itself in moisture

• enables skin cells to retain moisture

• keeps skin smooth and elastic

• keeps joints lubricated

• can be injected in gel form for joint issues 

• good for all skin types (pregnant women as well)

A question that comes up from time to time is, "What is the percentage of this active ingredient in your product?" BC has never released this info and I think I know why. People assume that more is better. More is better with cake and coffee, but not necessarily an active ingredient. In fact retin-A (the name brand for retinol, prescribed in dermatologists offices) ranges from .025% - .01%. When manufacturers make claims that their brand is 30% or 80% of an active, it's simply a marketing tactic. This video is a great explanation of percentages. 

Now we know how to explain the first and most immediate benefit of Extreme. Next topic... Peptides! Stay tuned for more.

PRIORITIES AND TIME MANAGEMENT

QUESTION:

Lisa, when you sit down to work your business, what do you do? I am having difficulty knowing what to do first and how to manage my time, especially with the kids always home.

ANSWER:

Well, let me say the way I manage my time has changed a lot over the years as my season of life has changed.

When I began with BeautiControl I had small children at home and did a lot of balancing between mommy, spa Girl, and eventually director.

I mainly worked when the children were napping or after the kids went to sleep. I was very strict about kids being in bed at certain times and was also very disciplined about working during those times. I did not clean house, or do chores of any kind... just BC.

My first priority then and now is my personal spa business. So if I sat down and saw that my calendar was lacking, that was the first place I began... BOOKING!!!

GREAT SPA GIRLS TURN INTO GREAT DIRECTORS!!! If you want Director keep booking and sharing, Director will come as a result of your consistent activity. That is why booking is important, not just before you become a director, but after!

Even now, as a Sr. Executive Director, I never do less than 6-8 spa parties per month.

Second priority... hostess coaching! keeping spas from canceling and rescheduling takes time and energy on our part as the consultant. One thing I learned very early is although the spa party is the most important thing in your world, it is NOT the most important thing in your hostesses world. She has a job, kids, home to manage, and everything that comes along with that. So I learned to make things as easy for the hostess as possible. I send her physical invites or evites, email her the save-the-date, and coach her to invite guests personally.

Third priority... Personal new consultants! You are all they have! I used to approach this responsibility with a very hands off attitude. My perspective was, if they want it, they will do it. I soon learned that YOU have to be the initiator asking lots of questions, inviting new consultants to engage in events and meetings, and doing what you can to help them be successful, which usually comes in the form of tools and encouragement.

Fourth priority... New non-personals. Another reality, although consultants recruit, they may not be ready to lead others or willing to lead others. Of course this can be developed if the desire is there, but in the meantime, you are to stand in the gap, helping that group of consultants.

Fifth priority... gainables. Gainables are your growing leaders, your consultants that have a true desire to grow, learn, and move up in our career plan. 80 percent of your time with consultants should be spent with the top 20 percent of your team. I would further define this group as not necessarily leaders yet, although some are, but they are working hard and leadership is their desire.

Sixth priority... Sustainables. These are your consultants that are successfully plugging along. They don't really desire or need your coaching on a regular basis, and have little desire to go any further in our career plan. These ladies need a phone call occasionally, an encouraging word, and recognition, but may not participate in advanced calls or leadership meetings.

A few more tips:

- Making a TO DO list is great but make a separate TO CONTACT LIST each week. Take a look at your team list and evaluate as I look at the names. Ask yourself these questions? Who needs me? Who has the desire? Who is discouraged? Who needs more training in an area? What does my team lack right now? What do they need? Who needs to be developed into a leader? Who is close to the next level. As you ask yourself these questions, make notes on your TO CONTACT LIST.

- Set small goals for connection. I usually try to connect with two spa girls per evening. My husband knows that from 7pm-9pm I am on the phone. Staying connected to your team is very important. You could also set a goal to connect with at least two clients per day. That is 14 connections in one week. I usually find that once I sit down and make those calls, I get into a grove and end up making more connections than intended for that evening.

- Success is learning to do the right things, not doing everything. Sometimes as women we become obsessed with prep, planning, investigating, and making sure every detail is taken care of. It's about action, spa parties, being in front of people. Don't get trapped by the computer screen and the busy work! That may keep you busy but won't move you very far.

Just be the best spa girl you can be... this means put most of your focus on your personal spa business! We all have time struggles, especially when you have a full time job or kids at home. We all do the best we can with the time we have. Just make sure to use that precious time to do the MOST IMPORTANT things and delegate and/or let the other things go as long as you can. I always reminded myself that laundry was not going to bring me financial freedom, my spa parties would. And I was right!

BEAUTICONTROL HUSBANDS

For those of you who have a supportive husband... THANK THE LORD!!! You are a blessed woman!

This is an issue I hear a lot about. In fact, just tonight I had a spa girl tell me that her husband wouldn't LET her go to Celebration with us. Very frustrating.

First let me say that we have had the same struggles. In fact, many times it seemed like my growing business was the source of our fighting. We would have these huge blowouts, I would cry my eyes out, and say to myself... this isn't worth it! I am just gonna quit!

What I knew? BeautiControl was not the source of our struggles. It was always something deeper, and BeautiControl was, and sometimes still is, an easy target. Your struggle may be different, but for us it usually came down to me being stressed out because I was attempting to juggle it all, do it all, and make things as easy as possible for my husband. I was unsuccessfully attempting to keep everything under control so that he couldn't say anything was undone due to my business.

I was making a shift that was difficult... the shift from perfectionist stay-at-home mom to business owner and working mom. We had many kinks to work out along the way. We still have our occasional struggle, although my increased income has helped considerably... especially since he is purchasing a new boat this week :) He is now very supportive, but it took time.

Some thoughts...

FAMILY DOES COME FIRST!
Family is many times the reason we joined BeautiControl. We join to spend more time with them or to provide for them. However, running a business from home comes with tough choices. We must pick and choose how we spend our time. For example, I have earned several trips that I did not take, turned down countless invitations, and spent many nights at home when the girls are out on the town. If you are running a consistent spa business, you may need to be more conscientious of how you spend non-spa time.

STAY DETERMINED!
If you know you love this business, stick with it despite his negative comments or discouragement. Just as we occasionally have a bad spa party, we will have struggles at home as well. One of my favorite quotes is, "Success is largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." Don't give up on your business or your spouse. Keep hanging on, you can work through it if you stay determined.

KEEP ON A CONSISTENT SPA SCHEDULE!
Men seem to do better when they know what to expect. My spouse does better when he knows that every week he is ON DUTY Thursday and Friday nights. I book spas those nights and try to avoid the weekends altogether so that we can be on the same schedule, and enjoy the same days off. Of course that doesn't always work out perfectly, but I try my best. This is a little challenging when you are a new spa girl because you really want to book ANYTIME someone is available.

REWARD HIM
Men are actually very simple beings. They love results and they love rewards! What is your husband interested in? Hunting, fishing, sports, music, sex :0 Help him realize his dreams and set goals that your collective effort can achieve. It could be a new TV, gaming system, nights out, or for my husband... a boat! I would suggest keeping a money jar for him, that you add to as you spa, so that he can see his money jar grow.

GET ON THE SAME PAGE!
Come to an understanding with your spouse about your goals and intentions with BeautiControl. Ask for his support. For instance, "I want to be a Director and this is what it will require." Making your needs know is also helpful. "I need your support in the form of kid-care, helping me clean up the house, not making negative comments." Sometimes we don't ask for what we need because we feel guilty, because we are self-sacrificing, or because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that we can't DO IT ALL! This has been a tough one for me.

My message to the men out there who may be reading this?

Every direct selling business requires an investment. The monetary investment is minor, about $500 for everything, especially compared to starting any other business. Most businesses require a large sum of money and great risk is involved.

Consider the fact that hundreds of thousands of businesses start every year and few survive. Moreover, 200 direct selling companies start every year and only two survive. BeautiControl however, has a proven track record, 30 years of success! A debt-free company backed by Tupperware Brands, with thousands of successful spa sisters all over the US, PR, and CAN.

This is a very safe place for your wife to invest her time.

She may make an extra $50 or an extra $30,000 per month! But whatever she makes I can guarantee a few things... her confidence will increase, her circle of friends will expand, she will learn new skills, she will try new things, she will appreciate your support, and maybe even buy you a brand new boat... CASH!

Thanks to all you supportive BC husbands out there!

Lisa Hermann
Stay-at-home mom and spa sister
Yearly BeautiControl Income $140,000 per year :)

BEING A DIRECTOR AND MOM

QUESTION:
Lisa, how do you balance being a mother, wife and running such a huge team? How do you find the time? I am a stay a home mother, wife and still find it hard to keep up? I need some motivation in my BC business and feel that the team I have here just isn't doing it for me......my Unit Manager has tried for DIQ 3 times and it hasn't happened yet for her and our Director is far away. I see how quickly things are moving for all of your people in Tally and wondering why we are falling behind? Any great advice? Thanks

ANSWER:
I feel you... women have so much on their plate, especially stay-at-home mom's trying to build a business. I remember when I promoted to Director, I had a new born, 2 year old and three year old. I worked when I could, during nap times and after the kids went to bed at night.
1. Delegate everything you can.
Get a housekeeper, an assistant, whatever it takes to keep you sane. My husband would agree that wives do 90 percent of the home management, organization, kid-care etc... You must find ways to delegate the activities that are not income producing, with the exception of your children of course.
2. Focus on those who have desire.
Spend 80 percent of your time with those who stay connected and engaged, not those who suck your energy. The way I determine who gets my time? Those who attend rallies, follow through on what they say they will do, and are consistent. It may be consistent with 2 spas a month.
3. Keep Sharing.
It is said that those who made you a Director won't keep you a Director, those who make you Sr.Director won't keep you there. The unfortunate part of direct selling is that one third of your consultants are new, one third are spa-ing veterans, and one third are on their way out. So we must continue to share in order to have a strong team to make up for the one-third on the way out.

As far as your EVIP... my answer to anyone trying to get to Director is massive recruiting! Massive recruiting creates momentum, which creates a strong team fast, with the volume needed. My advice to her? Pretend it's a trip promotion and recruit 8 per month every month. Of course this will require more spas than normal, dependent upon her recruiting skills. Have to go spa and recruiting crazy until Director happens. And it will happen. She should read Lindi Coker's story. Lindi is a Director on my team. Visit www.hermannunit.com for her story.