Julie Klein just posted a new blog titled May I Have Some Change?.

Verb:  Make or become different.

Noun:  The act or instance of making or becoming different.

My company is on the verge of a few big changes.  I don’t yet know what they will be, but they have announced that it will be “game changing.”  This is not new for my company.  I joined the company when the network marketing arm of the business was only a few months old, and there have been many changes since.  So far, all the changes have been to help affiliates earn more money.

What is different from our “normal” changes is that a beloved member of our executive staff has left the company.  He left by choice, and for reasons totally unrelated to the company, but he is still gone. 

I have been speaking to a few people about the changes, and I have discovered that, as one of the Leaders in the company, managing change means managing people’s fear.  Everyone reacts to change – both good and bad – differently.  For some, it just “rolls off their back,” while others have what appears to be irrational fear of what is coming.

The perspective from which each individual sees change is what makes the difference between whether the changes simply flow and combine with what we have done before or those that make people fearful.  To successfully manage change, from the perspective of the employees, it must be introduced clearly, defining exactly what the changes are and how they will benefit the company.

Fear of the unknown can often cause resistance to change.  Everyone must understand how the changes will affect them and the company as a whole. The degree to which people will resist change is determined by whether they expect it to be good or bad and on how the change will impact each person.

As a Leader of a large team, it will be my job to address their resistance and fear and help team members learn and understand the changes to enable them to accept them.

Change in the workplace is not so different from changes in our lives.  In the (hopefully) not-too-distant future, I will be moving to another state.  Although it is my choice, I am still a bit fearful of what changes may occur before, during and after the move.  I’m not a young woman.  Will I be able to make new friends?  We will be moving from a large home to a smaller one (that we have not yet chosen).  How difficult will it be to adjust to less room and far less storage space?  I’ll be moving from a home where my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away to a neighborhood where homes are very close together.  Will it feel claustrophobic?

I am excited and looking forward to the changes in my company, and I’ll do whatever I can to calm any anxiety those on my team may have about them.  I am also awaiting the change of residence with a positive attitude, laced with just a hint of apprehension.  Once adjusted to the changes in my professional and personal life, I am certain I will be better for them.

If you would like information about my company, please contact me through my website.

We Love Our Pets

We love our pets.  For most, they have become part of our family.  We will do most anything for them.

We take our pets on vacation with us; sleep with them; and we are broken hearted when they pass. We give our four-legged family members gifts at Christmas and often include them in family events.

Scientific studies have shown that some animals seem able to detect upcoming earthquakes, storms and impending disasters, predicting their arrival. Scientists and animal lovers suspect that many animals have something like a “sixth sense” about storms and natural disasters.  It isn’t something that can be tested in a lab, so it is difficult to prove. It may be their incredibly keen hearing, or perhaps they feel vibrations that humans are unable to detect. If you are a pet lover, you likely don’t need proof.  You simply believe it.

The most common household pets, of course, are dogs and cats.  There are about 78 million dogs in the United States alone, and 39% of U.S. households own at least one dog.  And 33% of households in the U.S. have at least one cat, totaling about 86 million owned cats in the United States.  (I was surprised to learn that there were more cats than dogs.)

With all the love and attention that we give our pets, it isn’t surprising that 

Americans spend an average of $600-$900 for food, supplies, medical care and 

training for our dogs and cats each year.  Many believe that pet insurance can 

reduce those costs, however, Consumer Reports writes:  “Overall, we found that the 

pet (insurance) policies we analyzed were not worth the cost for a generally healthy 

animal.”

This is where Pet Care Savings Programs come in.  At participating veterinary 

practices, you can shave 25% off your veterinary medical services.  The discount 

applies to office visits and exams, vaccines and shots, elective procedures (i.e. dental care), surgery, hospitalization and more. 

All companion animals are included in savings programs, and there is no exception for “pre-existing” conditions.  Unlike insurance, savings programs have no annual no annual limits, no deductibles and no waiting periods.

In addition to veterinary care, discount plans offer up to 35% (sometimes more) off grooming, pet food, training, boarding and myriad pet supplies at participating merchants.

Xpress Healthcare offers one of the best Pet Care Savings Programs available.  It even includes Lost Pet Recovery Service. Each pet receives an ID tag with a unique number and a toll free 24/7 number.  If your pet runs away, they will do everything they can to return him home.

If you would like to reduce your pet care expenses, I invite you to join Xpress 

Healthcare’s Lifestyle Select plan for only $19.95 per month, no matter how many 

pets you have in your home.  And, when you join Lifestyle Select, you’ll get some 

extra savings, because the plan includes discounted roadside assistance, LifeLock® ID 

Theft protection for your entire family, discounts on legal services and more!

We truly do love our pets, and we will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and healthy.  Since we are going to continue doing so, we might as well save some money at the same time.

http://julie.xpressabo.com/go2=blogger

I Don't Need ID Theft Protection

I had a space at a bazaar on Saturday and was shocked at how many people who stopped by my table told me they do not need ID Theft Protection!  (One of the products I sell is LifeLock™ Identity Theft Protection.)  Some people had poor credit, and they said, “They can have my ID.”  Others had no credit cards, so they believed they were safe from ID Theft. 

Do they not read or listen to the news?  A report released by Javelin Strategy & Research revealed that identity fraud increased by 13% in 2011.  Over 11 MILLION adults became victims in the United States alone.

This same report found revealed that those who use social media and mobile devices are at higher risk than those who do not and had higher incidents of ID fraud. (The report provides no proof of direct causation.) And, 7% of smart phone users were victims of identity fraud. Although we’ve been warned repeatedly, we are placing too much personal information online. 

You need not own a credit card to have your ID stolen.  A thief can use your personal information and get a credit card in your name.  You may think you are safe, thinking without your social security number, it is not possible. You would be wrong!  Your social security number and all the personal data a thief needs is already in various databases that may be breached at any time. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon.

Lost or stolen wallets, checkbooks or credit card accounts, corrupt businesses or employees and breaches of consumer data are other ways thieves “become you.”

I recently spoke with a woman who was an ID Theft victim in the mid-1990’s.  She is still – today - receiving bills and phone calls from creditors demanding payment for accounts she never opened.

Possibly the worst identity theft, is stolen health records. Without too much difficulty, a thief can acquire your health insurance card number, go to a hospital and have surgery – say having their appendix removed.  Years later, you get appendicitis.  Since your medical records say you have no appendix, they don’t consider appendicitis, possibly endangering your life.  Health-related ID theft is one of the newest and a common form of fraud.

Please, no matter whom you are, where you live, whether or not you have credit cards, sign up for Identity Theft Protection now, today, before you forget!

LifeLock™ has a million dollar guarantee if you become a victim due to their error, and it is rated among the best ID theft protection programs available.  When you purchase LifeLock™ directly from them, you’ll pay $10 per month per person.  With Xpress Healthcare’s Lifestyle Select program for only $19.95 per month per FAMILY, you’ll get LifeLock™ for your entire immediate family, PLUS you’ll receive discounted roadside assistance, reduced pet care costs and legal services and more. 

Feel free to go to http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings to join Lifestyle Select.  Even if you select another ID theft protection program, register today!

I Cannot find the Time

How many times have you said that?  I have said it, and I’m sure nearly everyone has.  We certainly must not be looking in the right place, because “time” has not gone anywhere.

For entrepreneurs, scheduling our days can make the difference between success and failure.  For those who work their business part time, they simply cannot work their business whenever they have a few minutes “to spare.”  For those working a full-time home business, if our time isn’t well organized, we may never get to high-priority tasks.

It is very helpful to have a schedule of what days we plan to work, how many hours we plan to work on those days, and at what time we will start and finish working each day.  In addition, we’ll likely be more productive if we schedule the various tasks we plan for each week.

For example:

Monday, Wednesday Friday – place online ads for one hour, beginning at 4 PM.

Monday through Friday – spend one hour participating on IBOToolbox, beginning at 3 PM.

Daily – Call all prospects received within the past 24 hours, beginning at 5 PM.

If we plan our days, treat our business like a job where we are expected to start and finish at a particular time, we will accomplish more and be more successful.  Many business owners treat their businesses more like a hobby to do whenever they can squeeze in an hour or two.  It is unlikely they will ever succeed with their business.

Time is ours to spend however we wish to do so.  We must “make” the time to do the many tasks required to maintain and grow a business.  If we are really serious about what we are building, we should never be unable to “find the time.”

The West End Fair

I live in a small city, with no other cities of any size within 90 miles. For the first time, I am setting up a display of my business at a local event, The West End Fair. I attended this fair the first year it was held nearly a decade ago when they had only 30 people participating and a very small crowd in attendance.

I sell memberships for different discount plans (dental/health/pet care & more).  I don’t sell a physical product to demonstrate or display.  So, preparation has been interesting.  Although I know there will be nearly 100 “vendors,” I have no idea how many visitors will be attending, and I certainly have no way of knowing how many will stop at my table.

That said, how many brochures shall I bring?  How many flyers shall I print, etc?  I normally work an entirely online business, so I have no idea how local people will even respond to my services.  Not only is this a small city, but it only exists because we have a military base here (who do not need my health services).

I have, therefore, been printing and preparing for three days.  Will 50 flyers be enough?  I hope so, because I’ve decided that’s what I’m bringing, 50 for each of my plans.  

My husband helped me design a really nice tri-fold display board.  I plan to raffle off a couple small prizes, and I will use the entry forms to acquire contact information for interested prospects.

If this event goes well, there are a couple others coming up in the area.  I hope to come home with several referrals.  So, wish me good luck, my friends.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

http://julie.xpressabo.com

I Wish I Had Known Benjamin Franklin

Most of us have heard the question, “If you could spend an hour with anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?”  My response would unequivocally be Benjamin Franklin.  Of course, he was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but besides that, the man was simply brilliant! 

Not everyone knows that Franklin was born in Boston, in what would later become the United States. He accomplished more in his lifetime than 100 “normal” men could have done. 

There are dozens of well-known quotes attributed to Franklin that are still used today, centuries later.  Here are just a few:

A penny saved is a penny earned.

Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

When you're finished changing, you're finished.”

He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.

Well done is better than well said.

One of my personal favorites is, “Never confuse motion with action.”

We have all used some of these common phrases, perhaps not even knowing that Ben Franklin was the first to do so.

Ben Franklin established the first public library and organized the first volunteer fire department.  He was a writer, publisher, diplomat and philanthropist.  Franklin was the author, publisher and printer of Poor Richard’s Almanack.   He invented bifocals, the lightning rod, the odometer, the wood burning stove and several other items still used today.  Daylight Savings Time was Ben Franklin’s idea as well.

Is it any wonder that I would love to have met and gotten to know such a man?

http://julie.xpressabo.com/xhc1?=blogger

A Very Good Day

Ahh… Back to work today, and ready to begin another great week.

I’ve been working too many hours.  This is my choice, but I realized yesterday that my husband and I hadn't gone out to do anything fun together in a while.

So, yesterday morning we packed a picnic lunch, and we took off.  First stop, Ramsey Canyon Preserve.  It is a beautiful area just a few minutes from my home, but it feels much farther due to the totally different flora and fauna.  People come to Ramsey Canyon from throughout the world for “birding.” There are myriad fabulous trees of all types and sizes.  We saw wild turkeys walking along the path.  Because we’ve been in a severe drought, we saw no deer this visit, and the stream was nearly dry.  We walked around breathing in the clean air, enjoying the perfect weather and appreciating our surroundings.  It was a lovely walk.

When we returned to the parking lot, it was lunch time, so we ate our picnic lunch at the preserve before leaving the area.

Then we decided a leisurely drive was in order.  So, with a full tank of gas, we took off.  We drove through various small towns; St. David, where there is a very old monastery, then we stopped for an ice cream sundae and visited an historic cemetery in Benson.  We wanted to stop at a tiny museum in Benson as well, but it was closed. 

When we ran out of small towns along that road, we got on the interstate and drove 20 miles west and exited at Sonoita.  We drove the long windy road through hills, cattle and horse ranches.  Large, beautiful homes were scattered through the hills.  We’ve taken this drive many times, but it is different every time. This time, the grassy hills were hay-colored.  In our area, the rainy season, the monsoons, begins in early July, and the hills will then be deep, lush green.  Because we had a very dry winter, there were few wild flowers in bloom, bit of a disappointment.

After a nearly two-hundred mile drive, we arrived home around dinner time.  We were relaxed and happy to have spent a day away from phones, computers and televisions.  It was a very good day.

http://joinxpresshealthcare.com