The Last Day of the Month

Good morning faithful and new readers. Its the last day of the month. I love the last day of the month because it's INVOICE DAY! Time to send out those statements which show how hard your worked during the month. There is something definately satisfying about that. But it also means that I don't really want to rack up any hours today. Therefore I am free to work on things like newsletters, USANA, bookkeeping and things that I am not able to get to in a tightly scheduled hourly basis work day. It gives me time to look over all the projects I currently have going on and give them a mental over view as to what I have accomplished and new avenues for their future success. Its important to take that time to review. To gain direction. To know how to progress in a way that will productive of your time and fruitful for your business. So enjoy today, my friends. Whether you are scrambling to finish projects or if you get a day of reflection, enjoy. A new month awaits!

Eye Opening Experience

Since I was asked to be a part of the National Hispanic Education Association, Inc (NHEA), I was very excited to work on a project that dealt with my own heritage and gave me an opportunity to help this wonderful community. Though it has been all of that it has also been a shocking eye opening experience. In talking to people of the Latino and Mexicano communities, I have heard heart wrenching stories of immigrants being shot in fields only to never be heard from again. I have heard stories of children in our schools being placed in special education programs not because they are learning disabled, but simply because they did not know English and there was no one available to teach them. I spoke with a gentleman yesterday who knew of a young woman in her third year of high school who had only accomplished two credits towards her graduation because no one could help her get through the language barrier. Oh I could go on and on with stories I've heard in the past week. But what breaks my heart the most is what happens to these young people who our schools aren't alway able to help? I'll tell you. Most of them turn to drugs, gangs, alchohol, crime...they certainly are not able to be in the middle working class. They certainly will not be in high paying jobs that will contribute to local economy and societal contribution. The NHEA is about empowering this community. Not enabling them. This association can be a vital part of getting educational assistance to those children to achieve the education that they so desperately need to be contributors to society and able to share with their communities the gifts that they posess. Won't you tell everyone you know about the NHEA. None of us can afford not to.

Its UP!!!!

I am happy to announce that after toil and much treasure, the National Hispanic Education Association, Inc. (NHEA) website is fully operational and able to assist you with your membership at this time! Spread the word!

Featured on ONEBLOGADAY.COM

Good Morning! Guess who is featured on OneBlogADay.com! You guessed it...yours truly! Thank you so much for featuring me here. I appreciate it. Check it out, everyone!

NATIONAL HISPANIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

*BLOGGERS NOTE: This website is now accepting members though the credit card capabilities will not be operational on the site until the end of this week. If you would like to join and begin the benefits of a NHEA member, please email the address below or call the number on the site. Thank you.

Dr. Douglas C. Winkelman, nationally known expert in the field of learning, has found a new avenue in which to help children and families throughout the United States. After four years of research and developing the program, Dr. Winkelman has founded the National Hispanic Education Association, (NHEA).

The NHEA provides members of Hispanic decent that live legally inside the United States information through the association’s web site. The information consists of links to free internet sites where members can learn English as a second language. Also included are sites where teachers can download information for their Hispanic speaking students. There are employment links to state agencies throughout the US, information on immigration, health needs and more. Dr. Winkelman looks to constantly keep the information offered on the site updated and expanded as needs arise and as information becomes available.

Benefits to members who join the NHEA will include referral fees for people who join the association. Cost per family membership is $19.99 per week. Members referring new families will receive $5 per week per families they refer as long as they remain in good standing. There are also levels of awards per the number of referrals a member makes such as gift cards to various retailers and even trips to spas and family vacations.

Dr. Winkelman has collaborated with dealerships in northeast Oregon so that members may purchase custom ordered vehicles at $100 over invoice. Other benefits include a lucky number day and an online forum for members to discuss business and share information and ideas pertinent to the Hispanic community. Members who own their own business will also have a single web page to promote their business. Families may use the web page for personal news or information.

Through Excel Learning Centers of America, Dr. Winkelman will also offer his AWESOME learning program to members at 20% of the cost of regular Excel Learning Center fees. AWESOME, an acronym for Awesome Winkelman’s Educational System of Mental Exercises, use all senses to teach students to use letters, words, spelling, phonetics, reading, writing and thinking skills. Dr. Winkelman perfected this training method when his own son had learning challenges. Included free of charge for members is Dr. Winkelman’s Free Preschool Program.

Dr. Winkelman became passionate about the Hispanic culture through his travels with Excel Learning Centers of America. “These are intelligent people”, says Winkelman of the Hispanic Community. “They are family oriented, hard working and very spiritual”. Winkelman says the NHEA will also give the Hispanic community a voice in legislation as it grows. “We have something here that provides these great people with academic and cultural education but can also influence congress and the White House”, he says.

Dr. Winkelman’s life long goal has been to one day start a new college in the Northwest where qualified students can attend without having to pay tuition. “I work toward that goal every day”, says Winkelman.

For more information on the NHEA and how you can become a member, visit www.NationalHispanicEducationAssociation.com or for email, Info@NationalHispanicEducationAssociation.com.

Home Based Business IS Work But So Worth It

You all have heard me talk often about USANA, my home based business along with About Time Internet Marketing. I am LOVING every minute that I am able to inpire someone to take an interest in their health. And...this business is going very well for me. I think the past days of network marketing have given the name itself a form of stigmatism that makes it seem undesirable for those who have participated in the past to want to do it again. I was one of those people. I did a network markting program years ago and when that ended I vowed to never do it again. How many of you have said the same? In fact, I used USANA and resisted when people tried to tell me what a great business it was. Its not for me, I'd say. Then when I found out they had been the #1 supplement for 3 years in a row, I decided to give it a look. I have not been sorry. But make no mistake, the stories of my success and that of my predecessors does not mean that network marketing is not work. It is work. But it's work that you can set the hours. I work my USANA business as much as two hours a day. But I think it about it far more. Even in that small amount of time that I am able to give to this business, I have gained a new customer everyday for the past four days and have two appointments this next week of people who are interested in seeing the business. I don't put a lot of hours into it but the hours I do put in I make the most of. And that is what it takes to be successful in network marketing. I make one appointment a day for someone who wants to make a choice for a healthier life. I will help you do the same. That is my committment to you. To help you make the work you do enjoyable and to do all I can to ensure your success with this company. Here's to your health and your wealth. Lets talk about it.

Comparative Guide Ranks Us #1 AGAIN!

In the new 2007 Comparative Guide of Nutritional Supplements done by and independant third party study, USANA Nutritional Supplements is again #1 for the 3rd Year in a row! You can't argue with facts like that, folks. And if you have visited my USANA website, you will know that is what was the deciding factor in my becoming a sharer of information for this wonderful company. Out of the top 500 supplements on the market today...that means Centrum, One a Day and (giggle) Flintstones...USANA has again knocked them out of the water! If you aren't on the Essentials at this time, now is that time. Affordable, easy to take, your health cannot afford for you not to be taking them. Degenerative diseases that we see in our parents and grandparents are preventable. Are you doing everything you can to stop it? You can start TODAY! Call me! And, note, are you making all the money you want to make? USANA has also been the #1 Network Home Based Business for the past 8 years in a row. Start with your health. Then we'll work on your wealth. Um....I'm sitting right here....what are you waiting for....CALL ME!

Northeast Oregon Decreases Dependency on Foreign Resources

“The way I see it, it’s a necessary means to an end of dependence”, says Jeremy Thamert, President of Oregon Power Solutions in Baker City, Oregon. The “means” and the “end” that Thamert refers to is the increased power rate that he sees all over the country. “It [wind energy] is the difference between some farms falling by the wayside or being bought out, and other more versatile and flexible farms continuing to operate in rural areas”.

Oregon Power Solutions and its eight local employees currently have 5 projects underway in Baker County and 12 small community projects that are owned locally in Eastern Oregon. Its wind towers along with constructing meteorology towers to understand wind patterns that helps keep Thamert and his crew busy. “Not a lot of businesses are truly completely vertically integrated”, says Thamert. “There is a lot of risk involved when offering the complete package”. Currently Oregon Power Solutions has taken that risk in 7 western states. “We perform work for nearly every major wind farm developer that has interest in the Northwest”.

He started the Energy Efficiency Program through Oregon Power Solutions. With this program, you can cut the average homes utility costs. Oregon Power Solutions audits a home to determine how it uses energy and makes changes in which conserve power in that home. “We can tighten up a house quite a bit”, says Thamert. “We want to make sure you aren’t just heating your crawl space”.

Wind energy is also a possibility for homes that are located outside of city limits according to Thamert. Height requirements for the system prevent it from being feasible inside city limits at this time where cities often have a 35 ft ceiling on any structures. Wind energy costs still run a little more than hydroelectric power at 3 ½ cents per kilowatt to the comparative 2½ cents. Thamert looks for that to change. “I don’t see it being that way much longer, 2008 will show many changes in our current structure”, he says. In regards to rising energy costs Thamert adds, “There will be more to worry about than just rising gas prices”.

Thamert is also quick to mention that for a homeowner outside the city limits who is interested in wind energy, there are government incentives and grant opportunities available so that a homeowner can apply for and receive up to 50% of the funding. Oregon Power Solutions educates homeowners about those programs and helps them apply.

Through Oregon Power Solutions, Thamert sees only benefits from his projects. “It takes local resources to make a local project”, says Thamert. “You can look at large development and all the money it takes to bring that company forward is foreign”. Thamert refers to a saying he once heard. “Every $1 spent locally can generate $6 for a community”, he says. “A project that stays local will provide a net return. One million can generate six million a year for a local economy. And all the money stays local”.

Thamert believes Oregon Power Solutions give locals a way to stay here and be self-sufficient and not be dependant on what happens globally. “As power rates continue to rise and our growth shows more and more demand, will there be enough energy generated to sustain us is the question”, says Thamert. “Diversification and independence is the key to limiting the impact of foreign oil and its repercussions. I strongly believe that”.

Use Caution With Merchant Services

I recently had the misfortune of a bad Merchant Service experience. And therefore, I want to caution all of you to use a great deal of caution when deciding on a Merchant Service account. I have a machine that I am locked into a lease for another 1 1/2 years from when I owned my salon. For ease and convenience (ha!) I went with what I thought was a reputable company I found on the internet. Sounded great. Low monthly fee...no contract....rates were right...so I signed on. Right from the start I had nothing but trouble. I couldn't get the machine to settle properly and when I did, they held a $1k transaction for two weeks to audit it. Yes, they had the right to do so. Not for two weeks. The worst part of that experience is that there was NO communication other than the notice of the audit from the company other that what I sought out. There was no return of my phone calls...no messages were returned...none. I did not get to the bottom of the problem until I called the Bank handling the transaction itself. I was overdrawn and at first call, the bank had no idea where the transaction was. Being a small business, $1k is nothing to mess with. When the transaction was finally found, two weeks had passed. Fortunately I live in a small town with a bank where I am on a first name basis with 4 out of 5 people who work there. They reversed all my overdrafts took great care of me. I learned my lesson. I will only have a MS account through my bank. No web bargain shopping for me. I am staying with a name a trust and where I know there will be communication should any problems arise. Learn from my lesson. Go forward in the Merchant Service world with caution. Stay with your bank and people you trust and above all...I advise staying far away from Paynet Solutions and subsequently, Pipeline Data, Inc. May the force be with you.

Sorry About the Inconvenience

Hey all...

If you have been trying to get on my USANA website, it is temporarily down but I have been assured that it will be up and running again by tomorrow at the latest. I apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused you.

Introducing The National Hispanic Education Association

I mentioned to all of you several weeks back that I would have information for you soon regarding a new start up company that I have been working with. I'd like to introduce you to the National Hispanic Education Association. This organization will be instrumental in providing information to a community that has not (in my opinion) had a lot of revenues for success and information passed their way. With the NHEA, members can have a single web page for their own business or personal use, a resource for information regarding education for English as a second language, employment, news and information. Please visit and if you'd like to help the Hispanic Community, please join. If you are of the Hispanic Community, you can't afford not to. This will be a means for you to be heard all the way to the White House.

Congratulations Julee Ulrey!

Julee Ulrey is the winner of this months USANA give away winning a canister of Strawberry Nutrimeal! Let us know what you think Julee and enjoy!

Never Eat Alone

I belong this fantastic group of women known as The Masterminds. We meet once a week to discuss our goals and what we accomplished in our career and lives in the past week and set our goals for the following we and what we need from our teammates to achieve those goals. I would falter far more than I currently do without this group. One of our members brought to the group 'Never Eat Alone'. From this book, we have now formed the Interesting Womens Dinner. Once a month we invite 7 women to one of our homes for a simple, casual meal of soup and bread and wine. There, of course is brownies for dessert. Each month, we invite a new group of women and we don't always know each other. The evening has yet to disappoint. We have had the variety of waitresses, sheep farmers, home business owners, storefront business owners to a lovely woman I met last night that served food after 911 and started a soup kitchen in the 9th ward of New Orleans after Katrina. The stories she told made so grateful for my life and my home. We all share great stories, great food, networking ideas and so much more. Hopefully we make connections that will last long beyond the night and the meal. I encourage you all to get the book and see where it can take you. Good luck and I'd love for you to send me your stories and I'll be glad to post them here. Have a wonderful Friday 13th!

FOUR MORE DAYS!!!

It's Strawberry Season! Only four more days to sign up to win a free canister of Wild Strawberry Nutrimeal by USANA! Send me your email address at ChristyBarber@Usana.com and you will be entered to win! No obligation...no gimmicks! I just want you to see why I love these products! I'll be watching for your email.

Don't Miss This Opportunity...

KNEADS BAKERY now offers its amazing, all-natural Brownies in a lovely presentation box.
We even include a card for your personal message.

v An ideal gift for
Ø Administrative Professionals Day (4/25)
Ø Nurses’ Day (5/12)
Ø Mothers’ Day (5/13)
Ø Graduations
Ø Weddings
Ø Fathers’ Day (6/17)
Ø Birthdays
Ø Anniversaries

Choose
v Our famous Java Brownie
v The Brownie-of-the-Month
v Half & half combination


WE CAN SHIP the BOUNTY O’ BROWNIES!!!!

Place your orders today & stop worrying.
Call 541-963-5413 or stop in and pick up a Brownie for yourself while you place your orders.

Thought I'd Share

Good Morning,

I got this this morning and I thought it had good information that I would pass on to all of you. Have a wonderful and prosperous day!


The 80/20 Rule Explained
by Pete Zdanis

Like the rest of life, the "80/20" rule applies in our business: "20% of the people produce 80% of the results."

As I have said so many times over, our job is to find "motivated entrepreneurs". It is my opinion that motivation comes from within, and we cannot, nor should we, "drag people across the finish line" if they are not willing to help themselves.

I, too, have found that 80% of the people in my group have done little, if anything, to build their business or help themselves. However, the other 20% have helped me build an outstanding Usana business while attaining all of their goals with Usana.

I have found that people usually fall into one of several categories:

The Procrastinators - They'll begin building their business "when they get around to it." They never find the time because they never make the time.

The Know-It-Alls - These people don't take the time to "read the instructions" (The BDS). It's beneath them to take the time to learn from those who have built successful Usana businesses, even though the path to success is laid out for them right under their nose. They couldn't tell you the difference between a BC, SVP and GSV.

The Paralysis By Analysis Victims - These people are constantly in "getting ready to get ready" mode. They are always searching for that perfect "system" that will magically build their business for them. They'll never find it because it doesn't exist.

The Tryers - They say that they will "try" the business to see how they do. Their mentality gives them permission to quit at the first sign of difficulty. You don't "try" a parachute jump. You either do it, or you don't. The same is true of our business. You either do it, or you don't.

The Whiners - Constantly complaining about minor details which have no impact on their ability to succeed in Usana. "If only this were different or that were different, I know I could make money in Usana." While these people are whining, there are thousands of people advancing in rank in Usana every month.

Finally, there are:

Motivated Entrepreneurs - These people "get it". They know that Usana's products and compensation plan are unequalled in the business. They set their goals, they develop a plan to reach their goals, and they go on about their business to work their plan. They advance in their Usana business while helping other people do the same. They make things happen while the other 80% are wondering what happened.

My advice, don't try to motivate the unmotivated. Instead use your time to find and sponsor "motivated entrepreneurs", show them how to succeed, and then get out of their way!

Pete Zdanis

I Could Use Your Expertise

So I have this wonderful testimonial that I told you all about yesterday. I have uploaded it to my website template. Now I cannot seem to get it all transferred to my host page. Sigh. So if anyone out there has experience with Publisher 2007, please email me! I need your expertise.

Never Underestimate a Great Testimonial

I recently had a mentor who I respect pass along to me a print out regarding how testimonials can benefit your business. Yeah, yeah...I know. I'll get to adding those to my printed promotional materials soon...when I get a second. Right? Those of you in the business understand. We are busy recruiting new accounts, following up on clips and promoting each of our current clients like our lives depend on it (because it does). But today I really learned the value of that testimonial. Not just for promoting myself...but for the personal lift it gave me and a pay off that to me, is just as valuable as money. I am lucky. I really like the people I work for. It gets personal to me because I do learn about their livlihood and their passion. I want these businesses to succeed. So when I get that placement for them or increase their revenue...it's a big cha ching. Hopefully for their pocket books as well. So today, at the end of a long and productive day, I played a phone message from one of my clients that was so excited about an article I got placed for her and the feedback she was getting from it. She was so happy and so complimentary that it made my whole day. She repeated some of those sentiments in an email again later. With her permission, I will be posting it on my website. Testimonials give others insight and credibility about who you are and what you can do for a business. Without them, clients need to trust your website (flyer, ad, pick your favorite...). A testimonial says that someone else trusted you and it payed off. There is little better vote of confidence in you and your business than that! Thank you, Denise!

Time For Another Give Away!

Spring has sprung and so have the strawberry crops! I think it's time for another give away! Send an email to ChristyBarber@USANA.com with your name and email address to enter to win a canister of Wild Strawberry Nutrimeal by USANA. This is a low glycemic nutritional meal that fills you up and keeps your blood sugar stable. Unlike other weight loss or protein shakes that do not satisfy, Nutrimeal will leave you satisfied for up to 4 hours especially if you have a fiber bar along with it! Add some fresh fruit and ice to it in a blender and the meal only gets better. Good luck and I will watch for your entry! Drawing will be held on April 15th! Something to look forward to that day!