FROM THE WOMEN IN AMARILLO

 “Crucibles often launch leaders into despair, crisis, and doubt. In the midst of a crucible, pain and suffering may overwhelm leaders. With sufficient resilience, leaders emerge from despair and become open to introspection that can catalyze major breakthroughs in their development.” (p.57) Everyone experiences hardships in their life, what they do with their circumstances defines them as a person and a leader. You can either succumb to the hard experience, or you can see it as an opportunity to learn and improve yourself. For example, in Vasella’s youth his family was burdened with sickness and death, which lead him to want to pursue a career and start his passion to become a physician. His crucible had a powerful impact on his life as he became CEO of Novartis a major pharmaceutical company. Ultimately, the only thing he cared about is what he could do for others. We have all personally experienced our own crucibles in different phases of life, and we view those as valuable experiences that have helped mold our lives and make us the people we are today. When experiencing a crucible, it is important to realize the value in it and how it can benefit you in the end. Warren Bennis stated, “The crucible is an essential element in the process of becoming a leader.” We agree with this statement and believe that our own crucibles have been an essential element in our own lives and quest to become great leaders."

FROM THE WOMEN IN LITTLE ROCK EAST

FROM THE WOMEN IN MCALLEN TEXAS

Being a Summer Sales Significant Other and a Small Business Owner

         Ladies! We all know that being a summer sales significant other can be both a serious struggle, and a great opportunity. It is such a love/hate relationship at times and requires a serious focus on the future and long term gains. Who else has the opportunity to visit and explore somewhere new for four months, to develop a new and exciting perspective for us and our kids; and then in the offseason to have our guy around with the flexibility to take time off to go on trips, go camping, or just help with grocery shopping during the day for 8 months of the year?! I love Vivint for those exact reasons. Then the summer hits like a brick wall and we are thrown into an almost single-parent role overnight! And to top it all off, some of you may have a business of your own to try and manage! So how in the world are we supposed to pick up and move, take care of our children, and try and make a name for ourselves and our business in a new area?!

         I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer and these exact questions stressed me out to NO END! But I found some solutions and am so excited to share them with you! It can be so discouraging, working hard for 8 months where you live permanently to establish your business, that the idea of doing it all over again for only 4 months, seems impossible and totally not worth it… I get it, I have been there! However, I promise it will change your business if you can learn to market yourself successfully, and generate business in only a short period of time!

         The first thing you need to do is get used to the idea that you are going to have to put yourself out there! Mentally start prepping yourself to start conversations with random strangers at the store, park, or community event.

         Secondly, design business cards, pamphlets, anything physical and easy to carry around that you can hand out to represent your business. Have these ready and available anytime you are out and about.

         Third, you need to look up Facebook pages for your new area and get INVOLVED! Attend community potlucks, mommy and me playgroups, church events, anything where the locals are, you also need to be! Put all that mental prepping to good use and talk to everyone! As a photographer, anytime I see an adorable family I approach them and introduce myself; telling them how cute their family is, that I am a professional photographer who just recently moved to the area and that I would love to take their pictures! And always, always, always have business cards with you to hand out.

         Next you should look up stores and venues that you know your clients will be going to and give them those pamphlets, business cards, anything that represents your business and ask to leave them in their store. I always offer the manager of the store 45% off a session for allowing me to place my business cards/pamphlets with them.

         Now this last step is very specific to supporting a door-to-door salesman or technician. Have your hubby carry your business cards with him! If a customer mentions they have a need that you can fulfill, then he has your card available to leave with them! He can state that you are new in the area, and while you are in no way affiliated with his company, you’re trying to establish your small business.

         You’re a business owner for a reason, because you love it! Anyone knows that time off is a sacrifice whether it be for a day or a week, but 4 months can kill your business! Momentum is huge when you’re a small business and you can not afford to lose it. If you commit to following these steps, not only will your business survive but it will flourish. Those skills that you have now made into habit will grow your business quicker than you ever thought possible!

         You don't have to sacrifice everything during the summer in order for your husband to do well. Doing what you love will create a happier environment for not only you, but your children and your husband. Jim Rohn famously said “that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with”. We have the great opportunity of being around someone who is so focused on daily achievement, who is committed to personal in betterment, that if we ourselves are able to mimic that same focus, we will create an unparalleled environment for success! An article in Business Insider states that “when it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced — whether we like it or not — by those closest to us. It affects our way of thinking, our self-esteem, and our decisions. Of course, everyone is their own person, but research has shown that we're more affected by our environment than we think.” So take advantage of your significant others’ energy and use it to help fuel yourself and your process to becoming better, to learning and growth, personally and within your business! I promise that as the two of you unite in continually growing and daily success that you will have your best summer yet!

KenseyDee Photography

kenseydee.com

kenseydee@outlook.com

Elevate Highlight: Jamie Meyers

I joined my Vivint family 5 years ago. It was a whirlwind of a start, to say the least. My first summer was in Texas and I moved there to be with my old high school sweet heart. He was based in Tampa (Pumas!) and I was living in New Orleans.  We had only recently begun to start dating again, long distance. We had spent 5 years out of contact and after only a few months, decided together that I should move to Texas to spend the summer with him. “An adventure,” I thought.

Now, 5 years later, I am so completely, eternally grateful for Vivint. When I try to explain what we do, our schedules and the life we lead, I find it easiest to just say that working for Vivint is the coolest job, ever. I have gotten to experience so many wonderful opportunities in the last 5 years that I likely never would have in any other job. I started as a girl that was excited for an adventure, not really knowing what was in store. Now, I know it is one of the best decisions I ever made.

In those 5 years I have had the opportunity to have some of the best barbecue in Texas, go to a Red Sox game in Boston, wander down Millionaire’s Row in Rhode Island, eat lobster in Maine, visit Martha’s Vineyard, tour the wineries in Long Island, spend 4^th of July on Fire Island, get lost in New York City, pick entirely too many berries from gorgeous farms in New Jersey and explore Indianapolis on a surrey bike (it’s harder than it looks.) These are all just memories from my summer markets! How could I go without mentioning all the fun we have once summer is over? The regional cruises are some of my favorite memories with this company! Zip lining in Haiti, exploring Key West, singing Karaoke with all the Vivint Wives, banana boats in Costa Maya and touring a plantation in Cozumel, all with people I would not have met if not for Vivint!

This company has not only provided me unforgettable experiences, it has given me a group of friends that have become my family. The ladies I have bonded with over the last few years mean more to me than they will ever know. Though we spend every summer apart, our friendship only continues to grow. I was so grateful to find that when I started my journey with Vivint, I was surrounded by a group of women that were so kind, supportive and true. This nomad life can be hard sometimes, but having a support system like I do is so utterly amazing. To be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone that understands your life, your schedule, your language and can relate to exactly what you are feeling is undeniably comforting.

I have a genuine appreciation for Elevate because it encourages friendships and strives to bring the ladies of Vivint together. I can’t say that I would feel the same about this job if I were never given the opportunity to create such incredible lasting friendships. As years pass, and as Elevate continues to grow, I can only encourage ladies new to Vivint to get involved. It is more than fun contests and prizes; it builds foundations for friendships like the ones I have been so truly blessed with. Reach out to each other, make friends, vent, laugh, cry, explore, share and grow! I promise it is SO worth it.

Thank you to my Vivint family and to Elevate. Forever.

PORTRAITS FROM THE 2016 KICK-OFF EVENT

Professional photographers were at our event capturing beautiful portraits of our special guest. Click the link to see them: 

http://photobooth.photocollectivestudios.com/2016/March-2016/Vivint-Womans-Conf-Portraits/n-C44Z3s

Emma Burton: What 5 Years Taught Me

Written in 2015:
This summer marks our fifth summer with vivint and i would be lying if i told you that it’s all been a big dream and that we love every minute of this job. i feel like i have two attitudes about it: the off-season attitude, and the summer attitude. the off-season attitude is pretty pumped about life because i get a stay-at-home husband/dad for my daughter, a stacked bank account, and i can look back on all of our summer adventures with fondness because i’m not living them anymore. but my summer- attitude is forever a work in progress; it’s hard to remember that these sacrifices are going to pay off when you’re living in a hotel with a toddler in wyoming all summer long.

but truth be told, i think that i get better as a vivint-wife as time goes by. i’ve learned how to handle the stress and the loneliness and the demanding schedule. i’ve learned that this job isn’t just a job; if you allow it to, it can help shape your character, teach you and your husband invaluable skills, and it can introduce you to some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet.

so here’s what i’ve learned about surviving summers over the past five years:

1. bad days happen, and bad attitudes make them worse. there are days when david doesn’t sell and those days are especially hard. he feels like he’s been hustling all day, getting no luck, and i feel like i’ve been stranded in a hotel all day for a big fat $0. bad days happen and that is okay. just because today was a bagel-day, doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be a 3-spot. stay positive and encouraging and your bagel-days will decrease, i promise.

2. get out of the apartment/hotel. even if it’s just for a trip to walmart, there is something about getting out of the house that always refreshes my mood and makes me feel like there is life outside of the job. explore your city! get on yelp and look up the best local restaurants. find a great park to take your kids to. go meander the mall or spend three hours walking through target (guilty.)

3. get involved in the office. it has always been easier for me to get through the summers when i feel like i am somehow a part of the team. if you’re the OA, that is awesome for you, i am sure your summer will fly by! but if you’re not, take the time to get to know the guys in the office, talk to your manager about starting a social media account to recognize and unify the guys, invite your husband’s car group over for dinner, have a sunday bbq, do something that will make you feel like you are meaningful to the team.

4. comparison is the thief of joy. i am sure you feel me to some level on this, but social media can be so defeating sometimes. i am not 95lbs, my kid is not an angel by anyone’s definition, i wear yoga pants just about every day and i would tell you the last time i washed my hair but i really don’t want to gross you out.that is the truth. but sometimes social media can give us a false sense of someone else’s reality, and that can make us feel like we suck. don’t fall into that. there will probably always be someone smarter or skinnier or more creative or someone with a prettier house or a richer husband. don’t get sucked into feeling like you aren’t enough and don’t get sucked into feeling like your husband isn’t enough because he doesn’t have 100 preseason accounts and isn’t averaging 35 accounts each week like some of the guys you see on insider. celebrate yourself for being the beautiful, genuine, kind, lovely girl you are and celebrate your husband for being the hardworking, dedicated, talented guy he is. don’t compare yourselves to strangers on the internet.

5. get to know the other wives in the office. you might not hit it off with all of them, but you might also be surprised to find some of the sweetest girls you’ll ever meet. there have been some women i’ve met over the summers who have forever impacted my life and made me a better wife and a better mom; that is priceless to me! plan a morning to get pedicures before the correlation meeting, have them and their kids over to play, go to the park or head to a movie on a saturday. they are really the only people who will understand just how demanding this job is and i bet that common ground alone will give your friendship a great start.

6. document your summer. last summer i made a video and i am so glad i did! it gave me a little something to be working on all summer and then during the offseason, we would watch it and feel all sorts of sentimental and excited for the next summer to come. it might not be a full representation of how challenging this job can be, but it captures all of the good things and will help you remember that this job is actually really fun and pretty cool.

7. be your husband’s partner. i always find myself saying this is “our” job and “we” work, but really...i’m not out there knocking doors with david. but honestly sometimes it feels like i am! we try really hard to be a team and that’s made a huge difference in our summers and in his productivity. i love listening to him tell me about his day and the doors he’s knocked, he tells me about the new people at one-stop and how he was on the phone on hold for an hour, we chart his goals together and i help him find the time to read and study before his meetings. be your husband’s partner in every sense of the word, including his business, and i promise it will bring you guys that much closer.

one of my favorite things about working the summers is that it gives me the opportunity to sort of disconnect from the world. for four months, it’s just me and my baby and my husband working really hard to hit our goals. i try to remember that these are our adventure years, and that there are no great stories without adversity. some days are hard, and that is okay because these summers filled with long days and 11pm

microwave lasagna dinners and endless laundry of vivint polo shirts are wonderful to me. they have brought me and my husband so much closer, they have introduced us to countless friends we love, they have paid our bills and bought us a home, they have taught us what real hard work is, they have let us travel the country, they have made me grateful for the little things i might take for granted during the offseason, and they make me proud because they have taught me that i absolutely can do hard things. and so can you. and if you have the right attitude about it, the hard things can be the absolute best things too.

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