Hooray for the U.S. Postal Service!

The United States Postal Service was established on July 26, 1775, with Benjamin Franklin being the first Postmaster General.

Throughout my life, I’ve heard jokes about the poor service the USPS provides. Then between 1986 and 1997, more than twenty incidents of workplace rage occurred with dozens of people shot and killed, bringing about the term “going postal.”  These incidents only brought about further negativity toward the USPS.

In more recent years, United Parcel Service and FedEx have grown and expanded their services, competing with the postal service.  During the last couple decades, the Internet and email became commonplace in nearly every home in America, further reducing the need for the USPS. Over the past several years, USPS has contracted with UPS and FedEx for air transportation for US mail.  The price of postage has increased numerous times and will be raised once again in 2013.

“For centuries, our universal mail system has strengthened the bonds of friendship, family, and community. Our system has encouraged civil discourse, disseminated information, and bolstered the national economy — both as the hub of a vital industry and as a trusted courier of the nation’s and world’s business.”

This quote from the USPS website is a brief synopsis of what postal service has done for our country.  Although people complain about lost mail or slow mail service, I find it amazing that they successfully handle and deliver millions of pieces of mail and packages with so few being lost.

Over the years, mail has been delivered by stagecoach, on horseback, on trains, airplanes, boats, cars and trucks, in addition to the thousands of letter carriers that still walk routes delivering mail. 

At one time, mail was hand delivered to the recipient. Over the years mail boxes became the norm, and standards were established for the size of them.  Most people don’t realize it, but it is a Federal offense for anyone other than a letter carrier to place anything in mail boxes.  In fact, mail boxes  belong to the US Postal Service.

Over the last few years to mail packages, I have been creating address labels and paying postage on the USPS website. They now even offer door-to-door pick up of Priority Mail packages.  I use this service frequently for my personal and business packages.  When I sent out all my Christmas packages this year, they were picked up right at my front door. 

The USPS even added a Flat Rate service in a variety of envelope and package sizes. No matter how much it weighs, if it fits inside, you’ll only pay the rate for that size package.  You can pick up the envelopes and boxes at your post office at no charge or order them online to be delivered to you.

I know this seems like a commercial for the post office, but I am simply a fan offering well-deserved praise to the much-maligned USPS.

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit joinxpresshealthcare.com . You can work from home and earn residual income.

To learn how to Save Money on Your Health and Dental Costs AND Save on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and much more, please visit  ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance) 

What Are You Waiting For?

I avoided all the stores on Christmas Eve day altogether. My husband and I “walked the mall” on Monday as we do early every morning. Normally, all the stores are closed, and the only other people we see are the other “mall walkers.” On Monday, however, though only 8 AM, all the stores were open, and there were many people shopping.

I am not a shopper. I don’t enjoy shopping, and I especially dislike shopping at times when stores are crowded. Obviously, I am in the minority. Driving by Walmart on Monday, I saw that the parking lot was totally full, with people driving in circles looking for a space.

I don’t really understand it. It isn’t like Christmas was a surprise. Everyone knew it was approaching. What makes some people wait until the last week, or the last day in particular? I have a theory when it comes to many men. (This is a generalization and does not apply to all men, so don’t be offended guys.) I believe that in most families, the women do the Christmas shopping, which leaves the men to shop only for their wives' gifts. Men think and think, trying to think what to buy their wives. Finally, in the last couple days, they get desperate and go shopping to get something, anything! Often it ends up being jewelry since nearly all women like receiving jewelry. 

For those in the United States, we’ve been watching our “leaders” in Washington fighting about how to prevent the US from going over the “fiscal cliff.” THEY knew it was coming for months! In this case, the procrastination was pure politics. They weren’t about to begin to discuss it until after the Presidential election. Now, it’s down to the wire, and what do they do? They go on vacation!

Am I the only US citizen who thought they should have stayed in Washington until the situation was resolved? Sure, everyone wants to spend Christmas with their families, but this is an emergency situation. We are paying them to do what is right for the country WHEN it needs to be done – not at their convenience. So they will likely come up with a temporary agreement and kick the can down the road. 

Then there are those who want to work at home. For weeks, maybe even months, they browse the internet looking for a business. They call reps from a variety of businesses, asking question after question. But, for some reason, they are not quite ready or they are afraid to take a chance.

“I don’t like making phone calls.” “I’m no good at sales.” “I don’t think I have enough time to work a business.” “I tried network marketing with the ABC Company and failed.” (Translation, they quit before putting in any effort.) Etc, etc, etc.

Get your holiday shopping done before the crowds get chaotic. Congress and Mr. President, behave like grown-ups and negotiate a deal! If you’re seeking a home business, find one and stop making excuses. 

As Napoleon Hill said, “Don't wait. The time will never be just right.”

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit  joinxpresshealthcare.com . You can work from home and earn residual income.

To learn how to Save Money on Your Health and Dental Costs AND Save on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and much more, please visit  ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance) 

Another One Bites the Dust

As we approach the end of 2012, I’ve been thinking about the many things that happened, both good and bad, in the United States and worldwide. Before looking on the internet to remind myself of what transpired during 2012, a few things stood out in my mind. Several terrible weather-related events occurred in the United States and in other countries. I am saddened to remember the many mass shootings, mostly in the United States, once again bringing the gun control/gun rights debate to the forefront. The United States Presidential Election was in the news throughout the year, the results of which angered some while others rejoiced. The Summer Olympics was a very bright spot among the many negative events of the year. I was practically glued to my TV for two weeks, cheering on the U.S. team and thrilled that they won so many events; and I was in awe of the athletes from so many countries demonstrating their talent and determination. I did browse the internet after thinking about my quick recollections, and I was reminded of more events and details of those I mentioned above. We lost several celebrities this year. Dick Clark and Whitney Houston were the first to come to my mind. Very recently actors Jack Klugman and Charles Durning died, and Larry Hagman, Andy Williams passed earlier this year. Zig Ziglar, the self-help author and motivational speaker, died not long ago after helping millions of people. We lost Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon last August. Many more actors, singers, politicians and other well-known people passed away this year, but listing them all would fill this page. Each loss saddens us. There were actually 16 mass shootings during 2012. How they can be prevented is a very complicated issue, but I hope the matter remains in the forefront and we begin initiating ways that we can thwart further killings. In total, eighty-four people were needlessly killed this year. All but five were murdered in the United States. I am neither so brilliant nor so bold to think I know how this should be handled, but something must be done. Hurricane Sandy, the “Super Storm,” killed and injured people throughout the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Cuba and the United States. The losses from Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey alone are estimated at $71 billion! There were other hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, floods, fires and extreme snow storms this year as well, causing havoc, deaths, a great deal of damage and injuries. What do you think folks? Is it “Climate Change?” In the United States, there were heated discussions about abortion, gay marriage, immigration, tax cuts, the environment, the national debt, and high gas prices (which have thankfully gone down – at least temporarily). I doubled my Xpress Healthcare business income since 2011, which definitely enhanced my year! My family is healthy and doing well, a very good thing. My husband and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on January 1st to begin 2013. I am looking forward to a wonderful new year, and I pray for far fewer horrible events next year than this one. My wish for us all is that we have a healthy, safe, happy and profitable 2013! ******************************* To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit  joinxpresshealthcare.com . You can work from home and earn residual income. To learn how to Save Money on Your Health and Dental Costs AND Save on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and much more, please visit  ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance)

It Has Been an Interesting Journey

It Has Been an Interesting Journey

I’ve worked at home for several years now. It happened more by circumstances than by intent. I worked in the administrative end of law enforcement for many years, and I loved it! I was with County Probation Departments in both California and Arizona. I worked with the Federal Probation Department as well. I also worked with a local Police Department, State Gang Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It was a great field in which to work. Unfortunately – or fortunately, looking in the rearview mirror – virtually every level of government began making huge personnel cuts. Within a couple years, the local offices of the departments with which I worked were eliminated. I could have transferred with them to offices 90 miles away, but I didn’t love it that much! After being laid off the second time, I tried my hand at a typing service, earning a small supplemental income. It never grew into a “real” business. I then tried my first network marketing business with a lingerie “party” company. I gave it a good try, a full year. It was fun, but I simply could not sell a luxury item. I broke even. I then moved on to a discount benefit company. They sold discount health and dental care plans. The plans helped people who had no health insurance. Unfortunately, I never received training or support from them. I asked for it, but all I received was what I call “rah-rah.” I was told (hear this as a high-school cheer), “You can do it, you can do it, you can you can.” But I was never told HOW I could do “it.” That company wasn’t a good match for me. No one can say I’m a quitter, because I stayed with them for six years! I put my all into it, but I never got more than about 1/3 of the way up “the ladder.” Finally, on February 28, 2011, I joined Xpress Healthcare. Xpress is also a discount health and dental care company (NOT insurance). Our products help people gain access to affordable healthcare who otherwise may be unable to do so. Our members pay for their own services, but they pay discounted prices, some dramatically discounted! The only similarity between the two companies is that we both sell discount plans. In every other way, I consider Xpress Healthcare superior. After three months, I was earning as much as I did with the previous company at the end of six years. Our plans are fabulous, from health & Aetna Dental to pet care to roadside assistance, LifeLock™ to legal and much more! All cost less than $50 a month per FAMILY! I am growing a team of leaders, which I was unable to do with my previous company. (Of course, I always have room for more leaders on my team.) So, here I am, loving my Xpress Healthcare business, passionate about our products, the company and the people. In fact, that is one of the biggest difference I’ve found between Xpress and my previous company. Before, I felt like a grain of sand in a sandbox. With Xpress, everyone truly MATTERS! ******************************* To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit  joinxpresshealthcare.com . You can work from home and earn residual income. To learn how to Save Money on Your Health and Dental Costs AND Save on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and much more, please visit  ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance)

My Pet Peeve

Like nearly everyone, I hate spam. According to an online article 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Email Spam Worldwide, “Roughly 130 billion spam emails are sent, worldwide, per day, accounting for roughly 70% of global emailing activity.” www.perimetec.com/7-Things-You-Didnt-Know-About-Email-Spam-Worldwide.php  What bothers me even more though are the many “facts” on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, social and network marketing sites and the like, or sent by email, where the poster just copied it from somewhere else without ever researching the supposed facts. In fact many are untrue or only partially true. We have all seen them. How about the one about why weddings are often held in June. The post states that is because people in centuries past didn’t bathe more than once a year, so they were married just past bath time. Oh yes, and the bride carries a bouquet to mask their odor. People pass on these posts, not realizing that not only did people bathe “way back then,” but they even had public bath houses. I saw one yesterday about how many mass murders were prevented by people who were carrying guns and stopped the shooters. I was curious about that, so I researched it, and although I only found information about a few of the ten or so incidents related in the post, in each situation, the description provided was either totally untrue or only partially true. During the United States General Election, emails and social networking sites were full of outrageous untrue stories about what one candidate or the other did. Unfortunately, people believe what they want to believe. So, the stories were reposted repeatedly and sent via email to everyone on their contact lists. I primarily rely on  snopes.com to determine the veracity of a post or email. Until I’ve checked it out myself, I will not forward “urban myths.” I’ve even seen outrageous posts that have “I checked this out myself on snopes.com” at the end. When I personally check it out though, around 90% of those posts turn out to be untrue. Millions – perhaps even billions of “normal” spam email is every month. In fact, only a very small percentage of email is NOT spam. According to an article published by the Information Security Office at the University of Texas at El Paso ( admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=64462 ), in the month of July 2012,”7,973,389 email messages. 6,476,110 of these messages were identified as Spam by our filters, 18,270 as Suspected Spam, and 391,374 as Marketing - Total of 6,494,380 (81.4%) Spam.” Imagine for a moment how much faster the Internet would be if these millions upon millions of spam were not sent. Imagine if you opened your email, and everything in your inbox was something you wanted or expected to be there. How much time would you be saving if you didn’t have to delete all that spam? How much more trustworthy would you find Facebook, et al if people did not share and pass along lies, half-truths and exaggerations without first verifying them? I love having email and the various forums and social networking sites. I do wish though that I didn’t have to filter all the spam (my email system does a lot of it) and read posts with a skeptical eye and research them to see if they are true. Would you join me in NOT forwarding emails and posts unless you are certain that the facts are true? ******************************* To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit joinxpresshealthcare.com . You can work from home and earn residual income. To learn how to Save Money on Your Health and Dental Costs AND Save on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and much more, please visit  ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance)

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

I lived in southern California most of my life.  For the last 18 years, I’ve lived in southeast Arizona.  Both areas have mild weather, with few extremes.  Neither State has high humidity and little to no snow (except in the mountains).  Where I am in Arizona, it is nothing like Phoenix where summers are 100 to 120 degrees for weeks on end.

As my husband and I left home today for our daily walk at our local mall, and the cold air struck me.  It was the first time since February that I felt a real chill.  My car thermometer said it was 34 degrees, near freezing.  Because we seldom have extreme cold, I don’t have cold-weather attire.  This morning I was wearing jeans, a short sleeve blouse, a denim jacket and tennis shoes. I was shivering.  Tomorrow, I’ll wear my leather jacket, which is a little warmer than denim.

I have never understood how people tolerate living in extreme hot or extreme cold.  Although I would never choose to live anywhere that has snow storms and below zero temperatures, I can understand how wearing proper winter attire could make it tolerable.

On the other hand, I don’t see how people can endure living in punishing heat.  You can only remove so many clothes without being totally immodest.  In the Middle East, people wear thawbs and other “robe-like” garments to protect them from the sun and provide ventilation.  When it is 120 degrees, it seems to me that their thawbs cannot possibly keep them any cooler.  But then, I’ve never worn one.

Last year a record was broken in my city with the coldest day in the history of the area.  I had an appointment that day, so I had to go outside.  It was 8 degrees and windy.  My face hurt from the cold.  Remember, I do not own winter clothing.

The hottest temperature I was ever in was 117 degrees.  Before I went outside, knowing it was horribly hot I had to prepare my mind for the blast of hot air.

I was in Mississippi during the summer one year.  I walked out of my hotel room, and my glasses steamed up!  It was so humid; I could almost grab a handful of the air.

I’ve heard people say that they “get used to it,” both hot and cold.  If you live in extreme heat, I guess you learn to do your chores very early in the morning or late at night.  OK, so you can adjust your lifestyle, but your body cannot adjust to temperature, can it?

In the United States, there are few areas that do not experience very high temperatures, high humidity and/or freezing winters.  Since millions of people live in those areas, I imagine that for most, they’ve never experienced mild weather year round.  If that is all they ever know, are they simply mentally “used to it?”

I would be interested in feedback from those of you who live in areas with very hot summers, humidity and freezing winters.  How do you deal with it?

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

Expose Yourself!

Network marketing recruiting is a skill.  Anyone with the desire and dedication can learn this skill, even master it.  Are you prepared to improve your recruiting efforts producing the results you’ve been seeking?  Do you want to be a team leader?  Are you ready to begin harvesting the rewards of your time and effort? 

Your websites and training can help you reach your goals, but when it comes right down to it, only YOU can perform the work it will take.  There are qualifications required to recruit team members, lead a team and build a successful business.           

·        Among those skills is passion for your company, your products and your business opportunity.  If you don’t truly believe it, you can’t sell it.

·        Along with passion, a positive attitude is a must.  Both passion and a positive attitude are contagious.  Your prospects recognize these qualities, and oftentimes want what you have.

·        Persistence is necessary.  Whatever challenges arise, recruiting leaders persevere, finding solutions to problems and moving on.

·        Patience is huge with any network marketing company.  If you have reasonable expectations about how much you will earn and in what period of time you’ll earn it, you will not get discouraged.  Work your business as hard as you can, and in time, you’ll be earning money – possibly very good money.

We’ve all seen promotions on television for the Army, Navy or Air Force trying to recruit people into the military to serve their country.  In exchange for their service, they are offered benefits like a free college degree and world travel.

Those of us in network marketing are basically doing a similar thing.  We are marketing to people who want to start a home-based business and have the desire and willingness to make that happen.

Like the Army, your goal is to promote & publicize what you have to offer, in our case a business opportunity. You must introduce the potential benefits and advantages of joining your company and your team in particular.  Using flyers, brochures, business cards, online ads and forums, get the word out; hang your “open for business” sign anywhere you possibly can.  Your main job as a recruiter is to expose your prospects to your opportunity.  To do this, you want to drive people to your website using every means you can imagine.  You website should provide the information they need to determine whether or not your company is right for them  Once they have reviewed your site, you can answer their questions.  If people go to your website first, it will be unnecessary to do a full presentation to prospects.  Let them learn primarily from your website.

The name of the game is exposure.  Expose yourself!  In network marketing recruiting, the more people see you, the more likely it is that they will join your team.

Explore all the methods in which you can promote the business opportunity and get as much exposure as you can. You can use online and off-line techniques. Off-line you can advertise with flyers, brochures and business cards or by joining groups of like-minded people.

I highly encourage networkers to use social media marketing.  It is an extremely effective platform to advertise a network marketing opportunity.  Forums and blogs are not a quick way to build a team, but they are among the best.  

Many people call blogs, social and network marketing relationship building.  The idea is to build relationships with others who participate in these mediums.  Let them know about you, but not by promoting your business. Gain one another’s trust. Once you get to know each other, oftentimes your newly acquired internet friends begin asking questions about your business or product.  If you help these new internet associates to promote their business, they likely will do the same for you. 

You can also create and post videos on YouTube and other video sites to attract those looking for a business by driving them to your opportunity websites.

There are thousands of people searching for just the right opportunity.  If you want many of those people to join your team, you must let them know who you are and that you are seeking team members.  The best way to do so is by exposing yourself!

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

Where is the Network Marketing Mecca

I was on another forum today and saw that someone was taking a survey about where most network marketers live.  This particular poster’s business is in party plans, and she has far more people working with her in the northern part of the United States that other regions.

I found that interesting, because the vast majority of my team lives in the Eastern Time Zone of the USA.  I also have several team members in California and a very few scattered throughout the Central Time Zone.  Besides me, no one on my entire team lives in the Mountain Time Zone or any western States besides California. 

My company operates solely in the USA, so I cannot compare which countries are most involved in network marketing.  I would guess that the USA is among the top, if not number one on that list.

I remember reading a while back that the most network marketers in the United States live in California, New York, Florida and Texas.  There was one other State (it was a top 5 list), but I’m sorry to say I can’t remember which it was.

So, I am curious now.  I would love if anyone who reads this post would respond by saying where they live in the world or in what State in the United States.  I think the responses might be interesting. 

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance) 

Do You Miss Snail Mail?

Until the last few years, my mail box was full of envelopes six days a week.  Around the holidays, it sometimes nearly overflowed with the addition of Christmas cards.

Now don’t laugh at us, but both my husband and I looked forward to picking up our mail each day.  It was fun to see what surprises we would find.  Of course, more often than not, until about five years ago, it was mostly bills. 

Now I rarely receive bills by mail since everything is either directly debited or I pay online.  From now until Christmas thoughj, we will have more mail than usual and enjoy receiving – and sending – holiday greetings.

When we pick up our mail these days, it is more advertisements than anything else.  Unless we’re expecting a package, there are rarely surprises in the mail. 

Fortunately, I also rarely receive credit card “approvals” anymore.  With the advent of Identity Theft Protection, we have been removed from virtually all the credit card mailing lists. 

There are far more features included with ID Theft Protection, and for that I am grateful.  ID Theft is such a huge and ever-growing crime, that tens of thousands of people are victimized every year.  Many people believe that if they have no credit cards, they cannot become victims of ID theft. They are very wrong!  Thieves these days have gone so far as to steal people’s health insurance records and receive medical treatment under their victims’ name!

A thief can contact your utility companies and change your address.  They then receive service at a different address under YOUR name!  Many utility companies have tightened their security making it more difficult for this to happen, but it is far from foolproof.

Thieves can also apply for credit cards in your name and destroy your credit.  Do not believe that they cannot do so because they need your social security number.  We have all provided our SSN in so many places that most thieves know exactly how to access your number.

Back to receiving mail… If you are still receiving bills and pay checks through the mail, you are at greater risk of being victimized.  Mail boxes are the quickest and easiest way for thieves to steal your identity.  The flimsy locks on some mail boxes are no challenge to them. 

You can protect your identity with a variety of ID Theft Protection programs, the best of which is LifeLock™.  You have probably seen the LifeLock™ TV commercials.  My company, Xpress Healthcare offers LifeLock™ for $19.95 per month PER FAMILY!  Their WalletLock™ feature assists you in the event your wallet is lost or stolen. They even have a $1 million service guarantee that if one of their members is victimized because of failure of their service, they will help you fix it at their expense up to $1 million!

Here’s some great news! When you join LifeLock™ through Xpress Healthcare, you will also receive Roadside Assistance for all family vehicles and all family members, Pet Care discounts and Legal Service savings.  Pretty great for less than $20 a month!  For details, please visit http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings.

Now, it is time to go check my mail to see if more Christmas cards have arrived!

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

Holidays of My Childhood

My mother came from a large family.  She was one of nine children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. Every one of those seven siblings had children of their own.  My mother was “the baby” of the family and was ten years younger than the next youngest.  Most of my cousins were close to my age.

When my family got together for holidays, it was a nice size crowd, often around 40 people. We celebrated holidays that fell during the summer at a park with lots of space and room to play, “pot luck” meals, softball games and lots of love.

When I was very young, I remember that one of my aunts hosted the Thanksgiving dinner.  We had huge portions of all the traditional Thanksgiving foods.  For a few years, my grandmother hosted it, and in later years, one of my cousins took it over.  We ate too much, visited and laughed a lot.

Being Jewish, we celebrated Chanukah.  During my childhood, my mother usually hosted a Chanukah party.  She had a wooden Star of David that stood about five feet tall.  Because of its proximity on the calendar to Christmas, the star became “Americanized” and was covered with foil, garland and blue lights.  It was beautiful. 

Chanukah is eight nights long, and children received eight small gifts, one on each night.  This too was an American tradition, because gifts were not part of the original celebration of Chanukah.  At our party each year, the children received gifts from all our aunts and uncles too.  My siblings and I took turns lighting the menorah (Chanukah candelabra) and saying the prayer that goes with the lighting ceremony every night of the holiday.  On the night of our family party, one of our cousins would light the candles.

When we were very young, my siblings and cousins and I would always put on a show when the family got together.  We would sing and dance for the adults, and everyone would applaud at what must have been terrible performances.  It all just added to the fun and celebration. 

When I became an adult, I began hosting our Chanukah party at my home.  I inherited my mother’s Star of David to decorate for our family party.  We had so much food!  Potato Latkes (pancakes) are the traditional dish served at Chanukah, but we also had Lokshen Kugel (noodle pudding) and myriad other dishes my cousins and aunts brought to the party.  Whether my mother or I hosted, we had at least 25 people in attendance and enjoyed being together.

Although Christmas was not “our” holiday, the family did get together on Christmas at one of my aunt’s homes on that day.  My aunt had what she called a “Chanukah bush,” which was basically a fake white Christmas tree with blue lights. We had no gifts, but we always had tons of food and laughter and fun to go with it.

My parents, aunts and uncles and one of my sisters are gone now.  I live 600 miles away from my family, so my husband and I have no family with whom to celebrate the holidays.

I read about and hear many people talk about how they dread getting together with their families for holidays.  They talk about disagreements and hostility between family members, and I find that very sad. 

I cherish the wonderful memories of holidays gone by, and I miss my family terribly at this time of year.  My wish for everyone is that they will appreciate their family while they have them.  Choose your “battles” carefully so you don’t feel guilty when they are gone.

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

Reflecting on 2012

As we approach the end of another year, it is a good time to reflect on our accomplishments and think about what we might have done better.

My year has been a mixture of both good and bad experiences, but the good far outweighed the bad.  I doubled my Xpress Healthcare business income over last year.  I didn’t get into the business expecting to earn a six-figure income my first year or two.  Since I was realistic, I wasn't discouraged.  I still love the company, my team, our products and the business opportunity. 

I was unable to visit my family in California as much as I would have liked, but I spoke to everyone frequently to stay in touch.  A dear friend, what we in Arizona call a “snow bird,” returned to her home in Kansas.  Due to age and poor health, she likely will not be returning to Arizona.  I miss the lunches we enjoyed together and the laughter.

I was disappointed that our house was for sale for a year and didn’t sell.  We will be putting it back on the market in January since houses are beginning to sell again.  Whenever we do sell it, we plan to move to California to be with our family.

I became very close with a few of my Xpress team members who have become friends, not just business partners.  Work certainly is more fun when you’re sharing it with friends.  I became better acquainted with our founders, working closely with them in the middle of the year and contributing to some great improvements in the company.

Looking forward, my husband and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary on New Year’s Day.  Two weeks later, we plan a trip to California to visit family.  I am eagerly awaiting the trip.

As my Xpress business continues to grow, I am excited to see how some of the stars in my team will grow and develop their businesses; and I am looking forward to bringing new business partners onboard and helping them to build their own Xpress businesses as well.

I am always happy to help more people save money with the various healthcare, dental and other savings programs Xpress Healthcare offers.

My husband and I are “seniors” now, but we are blessed since we have no major health issues.  We’ll continue to eat a healthy diet (at least most of the time) and walk 30 minutes five days a week to maintain our health.

As you reflect upon 2012 and look forward to 2013, I hope that all of you have wonderful memories and few worries.  May we all enjoy a healthy, profitable and wonderful new year.

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

Have You Heard the News?

IBOToolbox members received an email this morning informing us that a deal is in the works sell IBOToolbox by the end of 2012. 

Paul Williams created this amazing free marketing platform, and it grew faster and larger than I believe anyone ever expected.  Paul implemented one new feature after another, providing IBO members with marketing tools never before offered free anywhere.

Through IBOToolbox, members became acquainted with people throughout the world, many becoming friends with one another and others becoming business partners through their association on IBO.   IBO members learned that the phrase “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” was taken very seriously on the site.  The vast majority of active members generously help others to promote their businesses, resulting in increased website traffic for virtually everyone.

I joined IBOToolbox well over a year ago, and it has been exciting to watch the many additions and changes as they have taken place.  There will be changes with the new ownership, and I must admit I’m a bit nervous about what they may be.  Hopefully the new owner will care as much about IBOToolbox members as Paul has.

Paul put incredible effort and time into building IBOToolbox to what it is today.  He has earned whatever amount of money he will be paid in the sale of the site and whatever leisure time he will now be able to enjoy.

Paul, I wish you great success with your future ventures and thank you for creating such a wonderful marketing platform for entrepreneurs. 

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

I Have Lost My - Mind?

Throughout my adult life, I have heard people say that they lost their keys.  I have never understood how they do that.  Do they place them in a different place each day?  Being a woman, I keep mine in my purse, always in the same pocket in my purse, so I would have to lose my entire purse to lose my keys.

I have always heard people talk about locking themselves out of their cars, leaving the keys inside.  For the first time ever, I did it – not once, but twice this year!  Both times, I had my hands full, holding my purse and other things, so much “stuff” that I didn’t notice that I had not picked up my keys I had placed on the seat next to me.  My husband had to rescue me both times, and I felt very foolish.

Another thing I have heard about people doing frequently is losing their sunglasses.  I have heard of people losing pair after pair.  My eyes are very sensitive to the sun and bright lights.  So, when I am outdoors, I always wear sunglasses.  For most of my life, I wore prescription sunglasses that I had to trade off and on with my regular eyeglasses when I went from inside to outside or vice versa.  Inconvenient, but I never lost a pair.  Last year, I discovered a new kind of sunglasses (at least new to me) that fit over my regular glasses.  Not the clip on kind, a full pair of glasses.  I still I have to remove them when I go indoors, I do not have to take off my eyeglasses.  They are very stylish and comfortable.  I love them!

My usual routine is to keep my sunglasses in my car so I’ll have them whenever I go out.  Occasionally, I’ll forget and wear them into my house. When I do, I place them next to my purse, which I always keep in the same place, so I’ll remember to take them when I go out again.  When I’m wearing them to a store, for instance, I simply lift the sunglasses up and wear them on top of my head until I go back outside.

At some time in the last couple days, I didn’t follow my usual routine.  When I was ready to drive off to town this morning, I noticed my sunglasses were not in the usual place in my car.  The spot I normally keep my purse in the house was a bit cluttered today, so I was sure that my sunglasses were sitting by the stack of Christmas cards and gifts I have ready to mail.  I went back into the house, but my glasses were not there!

I searched everywhere in the car, under seats and all the gaps between seats and the center console.  No luck.  I went back into the house and searched everywhere I could imagine, but I did not find them.   These sunglasses are “special,” not the kind you buy at a local store.  To replace them, I have to go to an optometrist and only a few carry this type of sunglasses.

I follow routines in a few areas of my life, which actually can be worse than not following any routine.  When I do break my routine, as I have with my sunglasses, it is difficult for me to imagine what happened when I failed to follow my usual steps.  I cannot think why I didn’t put my glasses in the normal place, and where that out-of-normal place could be.  How do people who do not have a “normal” place for things find what they have lost?

Tomorrow I will buy new sunglasses (after which I likely will find the old ones).  For today, I must now focus on something over which I have control and start working for the day. I will never again judge people about losing their keys, locking themselves out of their cars or losing sunglasses since I am now one of “them.”

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

3 Cheers to Nordstrom!

For a couple weeks now, I’ve been seeing Christmas decorations and commercials.  When I went to our local mall this morning, I saw that Santa’s “throne” was all set up so Santa can accept children’s wish lists.

Have you seen this online? 

“At Nordstrom, we won’t be decking our halls until Friday, November 23^rd.  Why?  Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. 

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. 

Nordstrom will be closed Thanksgiving Day. 

On Friday, our doors will open to welcome the new season.”

Hooray for Nordstrom!  I’ll bet they will get more business than the other stores, because people will appreciate this!  I am certain I’m not alone when I say I dislike that here in the USA, businesses go straight from Halloween to Christmas, pretty much skipping Thanksgiving. I realize the economy has hit businesses hard, but trying to get us to buy holiday gifts for two whole months is ridiculous!

I am Jewish, so Christmas is not a religious holiday for me.  I imagine that Christians are more bothered by the commercialization of the holiday than I am.  It appears to me that outside of churches Christmas is no longer looked upon as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. 

The association of Santa Claus, Christmas trees and gift giving with Christmas is far from new, of course.  It seems to me though that the commercialization and lengthy extension of the holiday season has gotten much worse over the last decade.

I always enjoyed Thanksgiving, which until a few years ago was a big family event.  My husband and I no longer have local family, so Thanksgiving will be just the two of us.  I am so very grateful however, to have my wonderful husband with whom I will spend the holiday.

I hope that those of you in the United States do not skip over the important holiday of Thanksgiving.  It is a time to be with those you love, a time to give gratitude for the people in our lives and the amazing country in which we live.

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs and save on hearing, vision, roadside assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)

2012 - The Year of the Breach

A recent study conducted by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and McAfee Inc. revealed that 400,000 Yahoo! accounts and 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords and millions more at other major sites suffered Identity Theft breaches in the first half of 2012. 

Too many people believe that unless they have credit cards, they do not need ID Theft Protection.  More than 25% of Americans received alerts advising them that their personal information was lost, stolen or compromised.  These breaches included online passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers and more.  And, since many ID thefts are never reported, it is likely that far more actually suffered a breach.

There are numerous companies now offering identity theft protection products, and all of them provide a measure of security.  Xpress Healthcare offers LifeLock® ID Theft Protection.  Everyone who has ever seen a LifeLock commercial on TV knows that they are the biggest and the best proactive program available. 

With Xpress Healthcare, we actually offer LifeLock® at only $19.95/month/family. That’s right, per family!  You’ll pay more at LifeLock’s® own website!  To make this offer even more inviting, this ID Theft Protection is offered as only one of several benefits included in this particular plan.  At the same price, in addition to LifeLock, members receive discounts on pet care products and services, roadside assistance, legal services and cash back rewards mall. 

Whether you purchase your ID Theft Protection through Xpress or not, do not wait!  Get yourself protected before you become a victim!

Meanwhile, here are some steps you can take to avoid becoming an identity theft victim.

Change online passwords regularly.  The above-referenced study found that 28% of people never change their online bank account passwords. This is a major mistake.  Do not make your passwords your birthday or anniversary or other dates or words that are easy to figure out.  Mix lower case and upper case letters, and use numbers in your password.  Longer passwords are easier to hack than short ones.

Keep a close eye on your computer.  About ¼ of Americans store sensitive information on their computers.  Whether laptop or desktop, this is not a good idea.

Only access private sites while connected to a secure wireless network. The chances of someone hacking into your personal online accounts are reduced if you only access private sites when you are connected to a secure wireless network.

Be sure you have security software on your smartphone. With so many of us accessing the Internet using our smartphones, the NCSA study found that 64% have never protected their mobile devices from viruses. The bottom line is that whether or not you have credit cards, you should have identity theft protection. PERIOD.  And I highly recommend that you get the program everyone knows, LifeLock®, through Xpress Healthcare to protect yourself at the lowest cost. To learn more about LifeLock, visit http://julie.joinxpress.com/lifestyle-select.html

I Never Did Like Roller Coasters

I Never Did Like Roller Coasters

When I was a child, I may have liked roller coasters.  But I don’t remember it if I did.  I know I do not like them now.  That terrible feeling of my stomach seeming to drop is not what I call fun.

Now that I’ve been in network marketing for several years, I have discovered an entirely different kind of roller coaster.  I’ve discovered that our excitement level, our motivation, and our businesses can reach the same kind of highs and fall to the lowest of lows.

I have experienced it, and still do on occasion.  I don’t believe that anyone who is really honest with themselves can say they never lose their motivation or that they never have a bad week or month with their business.  Early on in the industry, I rode some of the worst roller coasters I could imagine.  As time went on and my skills and experience grew, the ups and downs leveled off a great deal. 

Today, after about eight years in network marketing and two of them with my Xpress Healthcare business, once in a while I feel unmotivated.  I lose my focus.  Although I write business fairly consistently, occasionally I don’t get new business for few days.  However, I bounce back quickly now when I feel unmotivated.  It will last a few hours at most.  Usually, I just take a break from my desk, and my focus returns when I get back to work.

In this industry, there are many people who simply do not stay around long enough for those high-highs and low-lows to level off.  They never reach the point where their lack of motivation is brief and infrequent.  It is a shame, because if they were more patient, they may turn out to be a great leader in their company.

I try my best to “ride in the car” with my new team members on that roller coaster.  I will help them in any way I can and offer training and mentoring.   When it comes right down to it though, everyone must learn to ride themselves and allow those huge climbs to the top and steep falls to the bottom smooth out over time.  Those who are successful do.hose huge climbs to the top and steep falls to the bottom smooth out over time.  Those who are successful do.

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To learn about Xpress Healthcare, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

What's Up Doc?

I live in a fairly small city with a population of about 40,000.  The nearest large city is 90 miles away, a 90 minute drive.  Between my city and that large city, it is mostly wide open spaces. 

We have many doctors, but not many specialists.  We have one hospital – or as they call it, a Regional Medical Center.  As I and thousands of others in the “baby boomer” generation grow older, we will likely have more need for Cardiologists, Gastroenterologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, and more.

I just learned that my Pulmonologist, the only one in the city, is leaving the state next month.  My OB/GYN left the city a couple years ago.  Now we have only one remaining.  We have two gastroenterologists, one of whom is near retirement age.       

Many physicians do not want to practice in cities with a poor economy.  While many rural areas are in economic decline, because we have a large military base, our city has not suffered quite as much as most small cities or the rest of the nation.  So the economy is not really a factor here.

A survey conducted a few years ago revealed that only 4 percent of medical residents ranked communities with fewer than 25,000 residents as their top choice of where to practice. More than half chose to practice in areas less than 10 miles from their residency programs, which are overwhelmingly located in big cities.  While our population is higher than 25,000, it certainly cannot be called a big city.

I recently learned that in many specialties, the highest earners are found in towns of 50,000 to 250,000 in size, not in the largest metropolitan areas.  There is less competition; insurance company reimbursements are actually higher in small to mid-sized cities; and the cost of practicing is lower in these cities.  Fewer malpractice law suits are generally filed in smaller cities, making the cost of malpractice insurance lower as well.

Sub-specialized physicians – those who need to be part of a major medical center with advanced equipment and every specialty at their fingertips – do not fit into this higher-income category.  With those specialists, their patients travel to them, and income and competition are not affected the same as most primary specialties.

I have taken that 90-mile drive to the “big city” to see various specialists over the years I have lived here.  As I get older, I have become more concerned about this lack of specialists.   Since they could actually earn more, or at least spend less to practice here, why do we have fewer physician specialists?  From everything I have read, it may be less about money, and more about proximity to family, fine dining, cultural availability (the arts) and various other reasons unrelated to the economy.

So for those of us living in my city and many other rural communities, we have a choice of moving to a bigger city or continuing to drive great distances for medical care.  For many, neither option is possible, making it a frightening situation for many poor and elderly residents.

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To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, please visit http://LearnMoreAndApply.com