It's a Small World...

April and May it is about time to start thinking about the fall catalog! Well, MVB has always used the same amazing photographer for their catalog shoots. Fall would be a little different. Remember my portrait event with Melisssa Darst? After our event, I forwarded the pics to Jessica and Lisa...come to find out jess and Melissa actually knew each other from way back. Jessica was in the marketing world before she dreamed up MVB and she and Melissa went way back! A great friendship rekindled from my event! The two of them began chatting and Jessica remembered a ranch that she loved...That was melissa's grandparents. Long story short, MVB decided to change things up this fall and go with a completely different look for the catalog. How could Jessica use the ranch and not ask Melissa to do the catalog? How could she tell their amazing photographer she wanted to use this ranch and melissa since it is her ranch? A few conversations later, a very understanding and super sweet photographer and voila! Melissa would be doing the Fall/winter 2010 catalog shoot! Such a small world! I meet this random photoag on the Internet and she totally knows Jessica AND she ends up doing the catalog! Wow! The Lord puts in people's lives for a reason. He truly blesses us every day!

Amazing Friends...

Let me bring you up to speed. In March I ended up #12. :( My first month out of the top ten. BUMMER! But...let me tell you about some good happenings that took place in Feb and March! So far I had only focused my business on selling through home shows. I began to toy with the idea of building a team. But I just didn't know how to start. God has an amazing way of working sometimes. This random girl messages me on facebook and wants to know about My Vintage Baby and possibly sign up. I guess that was my answer, yes, I am building a business. So the message basically said that she wanted to talk with someone actually in the business. She chose me because I was wearing an OU Sooners shirt in my fb profile pic. LOL! I am originally from Oklahoma and we are sooner fans! Who is this random girl?? Cassity Reed! My first team member and she is a fabby one! She hit the ground running. She and I began to talk almost daily. She had tons of questions and I had the answers. The funny thing is, when we talked, it seemed like we had been friends forever. We always refer to each other as "my friend". I consider her a great friend...however, I have never even met her in person yet! LOL! After Cassity, several others began to inquire through my website and were given to me through corporate. (when you are top ten, you get orders and prospects from the corporate site) GREAT PERK! I quickly became a team leader...to date I have about 25 people on my team total...and growing!!
Now...back to that #12 status...uggh! Had to step up my game again. I thought I was doing everything I could! Maybe I wasn't? Time for some one-on-one coaching with the sales queen, Jana! She gave me some great tips on hostess coaching to help decrease my number of cancelled shows. April was a little better, #10 and May was even better...#3!!! In May Cassity and I had a friendly competition going. When the numbers came out mid month, I was #1 and she was #2. I called her and she told me "I'm gonna knock you off!" It was so on...the final numbers came in and there she was #2! She totally beat me. Guess what?? Fine with me...because she was on my team and I am getting paid on her sales! Whoop! Cassity, you go girl! ;)

Photographers wanted...

Steppin' up my game! Warning...long post. I got creative and decided to invite area photographers to do a combined event. We would invite people to come use my MVB samples and the photographers would take pictures! Win, Win! I have a sea of photographers here in the metroplex, but I didn't want just any photographer...I wanted amazing, gifted and unique photographers. I have a passion for pictures. Although I do not have an intrest in taking the pictures, I LOVE to look at professional photography. Some people just have a gift and it translates through pictures! So...I went surfin'. Invited some of my favorites to humor me and try this event. Someone would have to be a guinea pig...someone I don't even know. It's a shot in the dark...but I thought it could be so successful. Enter...Melissa Darst.
You may have noticed there was no post of my precious babies modeling in the Spring 2010 catalog. We missed out...I decided I wasn't willing to take Addison out of Kindergarten for a photoshoot. :( BUT, I got some of the most fabulous pictures of my girls in the spring/summer collections! Wait till you see!
How I met Melissa...I went on a mommy, networking website. I reached out to her saying, I LOVE your work and I would LOVE to work with you. Well, a few weeks later she contacted me! She LOVED the clothing line and she was all about this idea. Her and I hammered out details over several weeks. We decided to promote the event on her blog and she needed to take pics for our promotion. We would need to meet. I give her clothing and she photographers her kids for promotion...and mine too!
Our first meeting...We meet at a local shopping center. She is adorable...cute green flower in her hair, so put together even with her kiddos in tow. I give her the clothes and ask about the location. Well...she was in love with this old house...just up the street. I jumped in her car and off we went to see the possible location. Only one problem...there were no trespassing signs all over it! No trespassing? No problem! I get on the phone, start workin' some serious magic, and voila! Approved!! OUR FIRST HOUSE! ;) When we turn around to head back to the shopping center...Melissa's breaks went out! AHHHH! Keeping in mind, this is our first time to actually meet. I ride with her, white-knuckled the whole way, back to her house to switch cars. On the way there she says, "we are going to look back at this and laugh about the day our friendship started!" Memories.
The house was booked and we took the pics for promotion...you can follow this link to see how our marketing for the event. The pics below are my girls Addison and Ava and Melissa's little cuties...Dylan and Maren!

I Love the 80s...

And the parties keep comin'! I started getting creative...I wanted to have each party even more fun than the last. I offered a couple of themes (suggested by Jana). Let's Get Wild about MVB! Everyone wears animal prints. I Love the 80s! Any excuse to dress up 80s style is always good! LOL! I have 4 cousins that live in the same town...they wanted to host together...well, of course 4 woman couldn't agree on a theme. SO...Let's Get Wild 80s style! We suggested everyone wear animal prints and do 80s inspired hair! OMG! This was hilarious!!! I crimped my hair! There were girls rockin' side-ponies, bangs and the aquanet was in the house!!! I have to say...this was the most fun theme. Most of my hostess' would choose to just have everyone wear animal prints...easy enough, but still spices up our party! Enjoy the pics!!!
Oh...February stats...#9. Whew, barely made top ten...I better step up my game!
What else could I do???

Boyd Bed and Breakfast...

Let me give you guys the 4-1-1 on my spring/summer season. I had no excuses! Once I hosted my first few shows with friends it was a domino effect. I just had to say "if anyone here is interested in free clothes for their kiddos, I have my calendar with me." Right then...at every show, I scheduled another show. I traveled here, there and everywhere. I was working as a nurse on Friday and Saturday nights. I found that people wanted shows on the weekend...i could do Sunday that was it. I set up my calendar...I booked a show for every Sunday and Tuesday...2 a week. Several of my first few clients were in the McKinney area, 65miles away from me. So...I would schedule the shows on Sunday, early afternoon. Remember Cindy, my mentor? Well, she and her family opened their home to me every Sunday that I had a show in their area. I would drive there at 7am after I got off of work at the hospital and sleep in there guest room for a few hours. Then, up and off to the show! The first morning I stayed, it was like a bed and breakfast. When I woke up, Cindy had made me gourmet lunch! From here on out, their house became the Boyd Bed and Breakfast! Such an amazing family, so giving!

So...how did I do?? January was my first month in the business...I was #4! Holla! Really? Is it that easy?? Can I keep this up?? IDK, but this sure is fun!

Boots and Bling

The spring/summer selling season is underway. I need to have a launch party. I decided on the theme...boots and bling. I invited all of my fabby friends to come shop the line, BUT you must wear your boots and bling. Prizes were given away for best boots and most bling! It was a blast! The amount of bling these ladies were adorned with was hilarious! My girls were here too...sporting their MVB with some cute boots too! What a great job....Fun with friends and my girls can attend too!! I got to mingle and make money all at the same time. What a deal!

January 2010...I'm in like flynn

Here we go...I am in the business. How fun is this?! Believe me it came with a bit of a struggle! Can I really do sales? I mean...really? I am a nurse and a mom. I have tried other direct sales before. How would this be any different? Wait...it IS different...this is the most amazing children's clothing line I have ever seen! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dressing my girls in these clothes! The girls are show-stoppers when they are in MVB. This is something I am EXCITED about! It is so easy to get excited about dressing up my girls, way easier than excitement about face wash or lotion. Still, I had a bit of hesitation...So, I ask the hubby...he says "I know you can do anything you want to do and I support you if you decide to do this!" I know ladies...eat your heart out...he is a keeper! With Jason's support and my head spinning with ideas, I dove right in! Purchased my sample line and soon got a call from Jana. Who is Jana? She is the national sales director and is a wealth of knowledge. She told me...ok...don't wait until you get your clothing to book shows. Call your friends today! So I did! I started by asking all of my good friends to host a show for me! I would say..."I don't have a clue what I am doing, but I am excited!" LOL! I was text messaging and facebooking like a mad woman! Within hours I had 4 shows on the books! WooHoo!
Let me tell you about a few relationships that started at this point...Cindy Boyd. Since I came into the business through corporate, not a sales rep already working the business, I was signed up under a random person. It was Cindy! Cindy was one of the first 17 sales reps in the business. Cindy would become my "go-to girl"! More to come on her...stay tuned! Told you about Jana...love her! I become closer to Jessica, I mean I am IN the business! Lisa too...poor Lisa, I must have emailed her a million times within the first week that I had signed up! She is the lady with ALL the technical answers, I am so not technical. So many amazing relationships now and SO many more to come! The Lord works in amazing ways...He has placed such amazing people in my life. Friendship Blessings from above!

Fall 2009...Going Direct!

Ok. I know you guys are ready to hear the rest of the story...hang in there. This post might be a long one too.
MVB goes direct this season! What does that mean? Well, they are no longer in the boutiques or retailers. What is the good news? More designs and lower prices. Jessica would design so many great pieces each season, but then the retail buyers would pick and choose a few items...so many great designs never got to the consumer. Who knew...there were more of these to-die-for collections that we never got the opportunity to purchase?! Shopping just became a little more fun and easier too. A hostess could earn free clothing just by inviting her friends to come and shop this exclusive line in their home! Wait a minute...Why am I not a sales rep for this company? I have had a relationship with them for years and they are launching this awesome new business model that anyone can be a part of...this is so up my ally! Sign me up!!! Literally...I email Lisa (Jessica's BFF and business partner), who I have come to know over the years, I say "give me details about this direct sales business." A couple of emails later, within a couple of hours, I was on my way to the fabulous life with fashion, friends and fun! I signed up early December to be a rep for Spring 2010! I hit the ground running too!
Oh...the modeling...the girls made this catalog several times! Ava cracked me up this year with her little under bite smile. You know...one of those crazy-smile phases kids go through?! Ava's made it to print! LOL! Addison was a regular by now and she really worked-it! She was so into Hannah Montana at this time..."you got the limo out front, oooo, hottest styles, every shoe every color" Just a few lines of that and her hips were movin'! The pic of her in the Christmas dress was classic! It's so fun to know the behind-the-scenes of these fun photo shoots!!! Also, gotta give a shout out to some of our friends that made the catalog too. MVB put out an email asking for more models and I had the hook-up! I am a nurse in the NICU and I work with hundreds of other woman...mommies! 2 of my co-workers were able to make the photo shoot and their girls made it to print! Miss Charlotte and Miss Aubrey! So fun to have our friends model with us!!! Check them out below!

Ava's Modeling Debut...Spring 2009...Addy too!

Time for another modeling call...Addison is invited back! Guess who fits in the sample size now??? Miss Ava! Following in the footsteps of big sister...Ava made a fabby little model. This is important...remember Ava's pose! I am dying...she totally poses like this almost 2 years later...you will see in the holiday collection for 2010! So funny! Ava has a "signature pose"! Ok...so here we are on this journey. Modeling and attending warehouse sales twice a year! Lets be serious here...we couldn't afford to shop at nordstrom and high end boutiques...we need a SALE girls!

Addison's Modeling Debut

SO...the first modeling experience. My little Ava didn't fit into the sample sizes, BUT miss Addison did! She was all about this! So...it is a FREEZING cold day in January 2008. So, cold...in some of the pics you could even see her little red nose. Torture?? No way! She was eating it up! For months after this shoot...she asked to see miss leann and miss lauren. (the 2 ladies at the shoot) These ladies kept telling Addy how cute she was, tickling her and giving her lollipops! Of course, this was a 3 year olds, dream come true! Here is my little diva...a poster, hanging in the My Vintage Baby show room!!! How fun?!

And so it began....

Here we go...thanks for coming along on this journey. Let me catch you up to speed. Buckle-up this first post is going to be a doozie! How did all of this begin? Well, My Vintage Baby (MVB) has been around for several years. But, back in the day...they were only in boutiques and high-end retailers like Nordstrom. But...at the end of every season...they would have this ginormous end of season warehouse sale! I had the inside scoop, so I was there waiting for the doors to open. You know like that old commercial " Open, Open, Open!" You had to be one of the first because all of us ladies at the sale were on a mission! Upscale clothing for such amazing prices...I would drive for almost 2 hours just to be the first one in.
Now...REWIND...all the way back to 1999 Oologah Oklahoma. I was a mustang cheerleader in high school. I had a really good friend on the squad with me named Susan. (remember her, she is a key to my MVB beginning)
So...graduated, married my high-school sweetheart, transferred to Fort Worth, TX for a job, had our first baby girl (Addison) in 2004 and or next little bundle came in 2006 (Ava).
FAST FORWARD to Spring 2008...I am on myspace (it was back in the day...give me a break...i don't myspace anymore) ;) Anyhoo, I find my friend Susan...well...has she got a deal for me!? She works for this amazing company called My Vintage Baby and they are having their warehouse sale...I just have to come out there and get some clothes for my little divas AND we can have lunch to catch up on all that has happened since Oologah High! So...here I go...road trip with my almost 2 and 4 year old girls...double stroller in tow. I arrive and while I am shopping this woman comes up to me and asks "what size are your girls?" well...18mos and 3t at the time. NEXT...she says..."they are adorable, we need them in our catalog!" What?! Are you kidding?! Ok...it was every mothers dream, right? We all think that our children are the cutest kids that were ever born...but this woman...she confirmed it! LOL! Gasp...YES! I would love for them to model. Who is this woman? Ummm Jessica Wiswall, only the designer and CEO of the company! So it began...