I Will NEVER Be Fired

A few months ago, a good friend of mine told me how 49 teaching positions were eliminated from her school district-- And tenure didn't matter. Last week, an entire department was eliminated at my husband's place of work and 135 people will lose their jobs. In this day and age, it seems that NO ONE has any job security. This economy has been morbidly depressing over the past three years (if not longer). The jobs report came out last week and it went from an unemployment rate of 8.2% to 8.1%. Not a big change.

Everytime I get a check working from home, I think of all of the people in the USA that could easily do what I do. No sales, no parties, no investment, no risk. It doesn't make sense to me why people wouldn't want to give this business a shot. Anyone can do it, regardless of education, experience, race, gender and sexual orientation. Everyone has a chance (provided they are at least 18 years old). I just don't get why people complain about not making money or how badly they need money, yet they don't do something so simple to change their circumstances. If you want your circumstances to change, YOU need to change.

On Thursday morning, my four year old son came into my bedroom, curled up next to me and asked, "Is today Charlie/Mommy Day?" I promised Charlie a day with me, but hadn't set up a day to do so. Knowing full well that I could work my business around my boy and my own life, I answered, "It sure is, Charlie. Where do you want to go first?" He was so excited. All he wanted to do was go to Toys R Us and Friendly's for lunch. I took two hours out of my day and spent it with my son. (Grandma watched his twin sister, Catherine.) The point of my story is that my business gives me the flexibility and freedom to do what I feel is important-- Such as spending quality time with my children. I can do Charlie/Mommy Day or Catherine/Mommy Day whenever I want to. I can go on vacation without having to give notice. I don't have to worry about missing work and losing my job. I know that my check will still come next month. No one is going to give me grief for spending time with my family, of fire me for taking a two hour lunch.

On Friday, I was finishing up a phone call with a new team member and I fell. I tripped on the kids' toys and fell right on my side. I knew that I was hurt, but I didn't know how badly. I got off the phone and got some help... And ended up in the hospital shortly thereafter. Sarah - one of the directors on my team - took over the presentation call that I was supposed to do at 4:00 for someone else on our team. I was there for about three hours. (Incidentally, I fractured my ankle, sprained my wrist and strained my ribs.) I came home and did a group presentation (with the support of Sarah) as I was lying on the couch and welcomed four more people to my team. Today, I was literally in bed all day long while my husband took our children to the Children's Museum of the East End. I did a few more presentations for other people and welcomed four more business builders onto my team. From bed. While in my pajamas. No, I am not kidding. In March, a Director III on my team literally did not work one day-- And she still got a check for over $400. What would you get if you didn't work for an entre month? Would you still receive a check? Heck, would you still have a job to return to?

Tomorrow, I will hobble to the Bellport Country Club for lunch with my family. I take Sundays off because I can. Sunday is my day to spend time with my family. I get to choose when I work and when I don't. I know that I'm going to make money this month that is going to pay off a big chunk of my student loans that I still have from George Washington University. It will also pay for a Disney vacation for my family.

And on Monday, I will start helping people changing their lives all over again... Will your life be one of them?

Raising Money for Non-Profits

I love my work at home business. I love that the company I work for encourages those that are in the business to HELP others. I have helped change the lives of many people that have been looking for a way to earn money from home. I have helped people that want to shop for all-natural products and not spend a ton of money on them.

But, this blog post isn't about my business and the people that I have helped. This post is about the non-profit organizations I have been able to help raise money for. There are a bunch of them, too: churches, boy scout packs, animal rescues, shelters, small non-profits that thrive solely on donations from people and so on.

The way it works is VERY simple... the non-profit fills out three forms (which I send to them) and they are enrolled into my organization. They earn a percentage of EVERY SINGLE PERSON that I place below them that shops online. On the fifteenth of every month, a check is sent to the non-profit. That's it. It is a passive fundraiser, as the non-profit doesn't have to sell anything, ask for money, or even do anything. If they want to get involved, they are more than welcome to and will certainly earn more money.

"So, how can I help?" you might ask. It's simple. You join my team, enrolling under the non-profit you want to help. You change some of your monthly grocery shopping to the company I work for. The non-profit that you signed up under receives a percentage of what you shop for. That's it. Really. If you refer people, they will also be enrolled under the non-profit you enrolled under and the non-profit will receive a percentage or their shopping, too. PLUS, you will earn some money back, if you want it. (And, hey, who doesn't want extra money??)

Furthermore, when you sign up to help out a non-profit by switching some of your shopping, you will receive $100 in FREE shopping as a "thank you" from the company I work for, not to mention a bunch of other benefits.

If you are interested in registering a non-profit organization for a passive fundraiser OR if you want to get more details on how to help a non-profit  that is already enrolled within my company, please fill out the form below and I will contact you myself.

BOOYAH. Money.

I wanted to start this blog entry off with an attention-grabber. That's my check for the work I did in March. And, as I posted in my last entry, last month was a rough month working from home for me because I had a lot of other commitments. Still, I was able to earn the largest check that I have earned (so far) with this company. I am SO excited about it, too. My twins' birthday party at the Children's Museum of the East End this Saturday. Guess what is going to pay for it??? STOKED.

Anyone can do this business. ANYONE. As long as you are 18+ and live in the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand or any US Military Base in the world, I can help you earn money from home. Just let me know that you are interested, and we can open a conversation about you starting on the path to financial freedom. I am really excited to share this business, and I can help anyone earn $1000 this month.

What would $1000 do for YOU this month? Seriously, write down what you would use $1000 for if you got it on May 15. Would it make a difference for you? I know it is going to make a difference for me. That $1000 is going to pay for me to take my twins to Strasburg, PA for "Day Out With Thomas" in June. Sure, it may sound frivolous to you, but it is something that my son REALLY wants to do. I promised him that when I was promoted to Director VI, I would take the family there. I'm currently Director V. I will end the month at VI and follow through with my promise. What promises would $1000 help you keep?

ARMCHAIR MILLIONAIRE TALLY:

Total Earned: $6,486.31

Total until $1MILLION: $993,513.69

Whoops... I've Neglected You!

I was so outrageously busy in March, I neglected to post here. Oops. So sorry. It won't happen again. I was SLAMMED last month: two destination weddings, my twins' 4th birthday, my mom's 60th birthday and surprise party, my sister coming into town, yada yada yada. Oh, and I built my business as much as I could. Of course, I received a check for the work I did in February:

I must say, I was actually a bit disappointed with this check. I mean, $472 is a good check for working from home for anyone. I also received a rebate check at the end of February:

And I received another rebate check for $10.71, but I didn't scan it. I've earned $4,648.67 since joining in August. I can't wait to get my check next week for the work that I did in March-- Even though it was a very busy month for me.

OH! A lot of people have listened to my presentation and said that they are "too old" to start a business. I disagree. My mom, who turned 60 on 3/31, started her business in January. She became a Director last night. Last month, she earned a check:

No, it is not a large check, but the check she earned for last month (and will get next week) is double that. The one she will get next month will be 5x the above check. This business is all about helping people build their own organizations and earn money for their own wants and needs. I'm thrilled to help people achieve their financial goals and fulfill their dreams.

I've been on vacation with my family for a week. During that week, I helped my mom become a director (and get a $200 bonus) and have watched my team grow by five people. I am looking forward to going home tomorrow and starting my presentations again on Monday. Most of all, I cannot wait to get my check next week, which I know is going to be at least $1800.

Oh, by the way, if you are looking to earn money from home, let me know... There is a $1,000 guarantee this month and I would love to help you achieve it.

The Armchair Millionaire tally:

Amount earned: $4,648.67

Needed to earn: $995,351.33

Helping Shorty Through the Roof

I went to Church on Sunday. I love my pastor, Father Jerry DiSpigno, at Mary Immaculate Church in Bellport, NY. He isn't "preachy" when he does his Homily. He doesn't lecture, the way a lot of priests do. He speaks to people on their level. He relates to his congregation. He is very motivating, which is one of the reasons I love him so much. (And I don't mean I love him the way I love chocolate. I truly love him as a human being, and a part of me would be missing if I wasn't able to speak with him or at least see him in church.) I truly admire him.

Anyway, this Sunday's Gospel was about Jesus and the paralytic. Now, those of you that know me know that I'm not a "Bible Thumper" or anything to that effect. I don't read the Bible on a daily basis, but I can certainly quote it. I'm an Italian Catholic. I pray before bed and say grace before dinner. God has a place in my life. I'm not one of those people that pushes religion on anyone, but you better believe my kids are going to Catholic school. (FYI - 99% of students that graduate Catholic school go on to graduate college.) I don't usually talk about my religion or my spirituality because, frankly, I feel that it is private.

But, I really related to the Gospel over the weekend.  I will copy and paste the Gospel (Mark 2:1-12) after this blog entry so that you can see what I'm talking about.

Basically, in this Gospel four friends take their fifth friend - a paralyzed dude - to see Jesus in Capernaum. They had faith that Jesus could help their friend walk again. Well, when they got there, people mobbed where Jesus was and the five friends couldn't get in. So, they climbed the building (remember, one of them was paralyzed, so this was a feat), broke a hole in the roof right over Jesus and lowered their paralyzed friend down in front of Jesus on his mat.

Jesus forgave the paralyzed man of his sins. The scribes around him thought Jesus was blasphemous, saying that only God could forgive sins. Jesus told them that man can forgive, too. With that, he told Shorty the paralytic to get his mat and leave. Shorty stood up, took his mat and left with his friends.

Now, this blog is all about me working from home and building a business. "What," you may ask, "does this have to do with working from home?"

My dear reader, it has everything to do with working from home.

I was talking with Dionne tonight, and I told her about the Gospel I heard in Church. Dionne has been feeling down lately (as have I). and I thought that this would cheer her up some. I'm not trying to be funny or blasphemous in what I am about to write, but here goes...

The four friends that believed so much in Jesus believed that they could make their friend walk again. Even if Shorty didn't believe that he could be healed, his friends believed Him. They believe in Him so much that they carried Shorty to Capernaum, scaled a building with him, busted through a roof, and lowered their friend down to that Jesus could heal him. They believed. It didn't matter if anyone else believed. They believed.

With my business, a lot of people have said some nasty things to me and behind my back. Even my own husband thought it was a scam in the very beginning. He had some negative things to say, but he believes now. I believe in this business. I see how it works, albeit on a very small scale (so far). I have seen what it does for other people that work the business. So does Dionne. So does Sam. So do a lot of other people on my team. The point is, however, it doesn't matter to me if they believe in it or not; I believe in it.

The four friends wanted to help their paralytic friend walk again. They wanted him to have a better quality of life. So, they brought Shorty to the man that could help him get that quality of life. They carried their friends a far distance, up a building and down a roof.  With my business, people cannot do it on their own. I guess they could, but it would be outrageously hard to succeed. Could you imagine how hard it would be for one man to carry another man several towns away, scale a building with him on his back, break a hole into a roof, and then lower said friend and his mat through a roof? It would have been impossible. But it wasn't just one man doing it-- It was four friends working as a team to help their friend get a better quality of life. That's a metaphor for what we do on my team... We help people achieve a better quality of life. We do it because it affects us on a personal and spiritual level. Do you know what it is like to be thanked by someone because they are able to pay for their son's new bed because you showed them how to work from home? It's an amazing feeling. Truly, truly amazing. And then they, of course, want to help others. That's what my business is about. That's what my team is about. 

Finally, the story is about forgiveness. I've helped a lot of people through the roof, and they've spat on my, ridiculed me, taken me for granted, whatever. My feelings have been hurt so many times in this business (and outside of it, when I think about things). I have a bad habit of harboring resentment. I don't necessarily hold a grudge, but I don't forget things. I have a hard time forgiving the people that hurt me, too... I want to prove them wrong. Honestly, I should just forgive these people and let go. Let them take their mat and leave. Jesus says that man can forgive, and I think that sometimes we all forget that. I'm going to focus on remembering that a little bit more, and I think I'll be able to get centered better on the things that really matter to me.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹ A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

The Proof Is In The Pudding

To all of the people that have said nasty things to me and people on my team, calling this business a scam or a hoax, saying that we would never make any money, I have a few things to show you:

Barbie's Check for January

My Check for January

Sam's Checks for January

Between the three of us, we earned $1947.65. That's just three of us on a team of 158 people.

Take that, nay-sayers.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy myself a new pair of shoes.

ARMCHAIR MILLIONAIRE TALLY

Total Earned: $4,161.53

Remaining to $1Million: $995,838.47

What Would $1000 Do for YOU This Month?

Me "walking on water" for the budget "miracles" I pull off.

I learned something important yesterday: People really do read this blog. Many of the people that read it are folks that I went to school with in the South Country School District (I graduated BHS in 1994). They read for a while, then they send me a message. Even if they don't want to join my work from home team, they send me a message. My friend, Rebecca, reads my blog and sent me such an encouraging and uplifting message a few months ago, it really kept me going and got me through a very rough time. (So, thanks for that Becky! I won't forget it-- You don't know what your words meant to me.) Two friends from school messaged me yesterday because of my blog entry, and it was really encouraging to me. Not because it means that I'll probably have another two team members by the end of the day, but because it means that I'm not talking to the wall. I put a LOT of writing out there - whether my blog or on Yahoo! Voices -- and I never really know if it means anything to anyone. The fact that people have reached out to me makes me realize that my words are not going unread. It's an awesome feeling.

I can't tell you what a great feeling it is to be able to help my old friends - even if I haven't spoken with them in years - change their financial lives just by working from home. They can work part-time or full-time, and make a real dent in their debt. Knowing that I had a hand in helping them do so is so gratifying, I can't even put it into words. Making a difference in the lives of strangers is awesome, too. Knowing that I can help people has given me a sense of purpose that I never knew that I could have.

That being said, how would $1000 change things for you this month? I've gotta tell you, this is the first month that I haven't stressed about money. Would an extra $1000 change anything in your life right now? If it would, please send me an email. I would love to help you. The $1000 is guaranteed-- You just have to follow instructions. If you're coachable and can follow directions, I can help you get that grand.