Lipstick, Cotton Candy and Chili Vanilli

Lipstick, Cotton Candy and Chili Vanilli
by Kari Andersen

Almost two years ago now, I needed lipstick. I was attending a new church in Belgrade, MT and was meeting some amazing people. One of the new friends that I met was a consultant for a major cosmetic company. We started talking about business and I shared that I was a gourmet candles distributor and she was very interested because she loves candles. I mentioned that my favorite lipstick was from her company. She was NOT interested in my business and the same for me with hers but we agreed to trade products.

So I gave her a Sex on the Beach candle and she gave me a tube of my favorite lipstick. I remember my husband questioning my judgement because he didn't want me to give my product away. But I needed lipstick so why not make sure that one more person tries a gourmet natural-wax candle and get what I need in return. She was thrilled and so was I.

A few weeks later, I got a voicemail and an email from a girl here in Montana saying that she smelled a gourmet candle over at her friend's house and that she was very impressed with the candle. It was half burned, she said, without any black stuff. She said she even asked her friend if she cleaned the jar after she burned it which of course she didn't. She also said it smelled so good she wanted to lick it!!

So we wrote back and forth and chatted on the phone about a dozen times and she finally signed up with the Fast Start Pack. That girl is Cheryl Hill. I traded a candle for lipstick and got Cheryl Hill in the deal... my TOP leader!! Now, that was a big return on my investment!!

Cheryl was a school teacher, like myself, who wanted to be home with her babies. She just wanted some extra cash to help out with bills but didn't want to recruit or build a team. The next day while Cheryl was sharing her excitement with another couple, they got so excited that they signed up the next day! So within 24 hours, Cheryl had her first team partners!

Cheryl Hill is an expert at candle parties, fundraisers, internet marketing, recruiting and training. She spoke twice at the last Fling and is scheduled to be a speaker at the Las Vegas event in January 2008.

How about another SEED story...

me with Deanna Haley

Three years ago this May, I was at a Children's Expo with my children to see Mr. McFeely from "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" and let them play on the inflatable jumpy things. Needless to say, I was not very excited to be there. But I went armed with two votives and my business cards. I intended to look for other moms or vendors who might be interested in joining my team. So after a couple hours of passing out my cards and one votive, I still had one Cotton Candy votive left.

I spotted another mom who had a stroller and a bunch of kids. She was very pretty and looked nice. Seemed safe enough! So I went up to her and said, "You look like you could use a candle." She laughed and I found out later that she wondered what exactly that looked like! She took that candle and read the bottom and said, "I want to make money from home." I told her to take the candle home and check out my website. That was it.

A couple weeks later, she called me and said that little Cotton Candy votive that she set next to her computer had been calling to her. She loved the scent. So we chatted for a long time and found out that we had so much in common. We even grew up not far from each other in Eastern Montana and we were both singers. She was still a little hesitant but she talked it over with her husband and he said that he was going to sign up if she didn't! Thanks, Matt!

Deanna Haley also shared her story at a previous Fling, is a dynamo internet marketer and is an expert at selling her candles in small retail shops all over the area. She will be at the Las Vegas event and is bringing team partners with her to share the excitement.

One more awesome SEED story!

My husband and I attended a Marriage Seminar about a year and half ago. It was a fun class and we met some amazing couples. The leaders of the seminar asked if I could put together some votives to give to each couple for the last class. Chili Vanilli votives were what I had in stock so I wrapped each one in tulle with a ribbon and attached my card.

One of the ladies went crazy over the Chili Vanilli scent and asked me a million questions about the candles and the business. She and her husband had been in network marketing and knew the power of MLM.

Gay Passano was the wonderful lady who was Chili Vanilli-ed and is now one of my TOP RETAILERS in the area. She attended the Summer Fling and the Las Vegas event last year. She takes the candles with her everywhere and shares her excitement. Her husband, Chris, who owns his own painting business has recently caught the bug and purchased a CANDLE TOOL BAG (like the one in December's newsletter) to take to his job sites.

Gay Passano on far left - A Montana Babe!

Another seed, another team member, another new friend for life! This business is more than planting seeds for a great financial harvest, it's about planting seeds of friendship.

Kari Andersen
Bozeman, Montana

www.MomsMakingMoneyFromHome.com