The stories of why&how we joined party plan

CustomCandles replied:

Hi Marina,

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Wow.  You sound like you are really enjoying the 5th Avenue expreience.

I am glad that it is going so well for you.

Looking forward to hearing more about you and your business.

Jae replied:

Hi Marina

That is a great story. Its nice to hear something inspirational like that.

Good Luck with everything. Hope to have a show in the near future. :)

AngelicaLyn replied:

Hi Marina,

Great to hear that you were able to turn things around. So many, so called, professionals just carn't see what it is about party plan that we love so much. Good to have you convert to what we all know is a great lifestyle

Lyn

anadesigns replied:

Hello Marina...
Welcome to the site & thanks for sharing your story....I too know what it is like to be very ill & wonder what I should be doing & how I should be doing it....You are absoloutely right LIFE IS TOO SHORT.....we need to make the most outta every opportunity that cross's our path & u sound like you have done just that.....
WELL DONE on your fantastic efforts....
I look forward to hearing more from you....Hope your success rubs off on some of us gals rofl......................GOOD LUCK
MarineMC

Assenti replied:

Hi Marina, welcome what a great story and good luck with everythinglooking forward to getting to know you better.

SaucyKath replied:

Hi Marina,   God!   I'll share my story with anyone anytime really - I love our Company so much!.

Previously, I have worked with two other party plan companies but my main job over the past 16 years has been in Real Estate Property Management.   After leaving my last Property Management role to have my youngest son - I had been thinking that I may give Party Plan another go - but with a total different frame of mind.

After my two other experiences I realised that what I wanted was to really build up a good team around me and really look at the Party Plan industry this time with a LONG point of view.      This is it now with me - my plan is to stay with this company forever!

After a lot of research I decided that I wanted to be associated with a Party Plan company that wasn't yet represented in Queensland!     And Voila!    I found Saucy Fish Jewellery.      My partner and I also have another business to run - a small fencing business so for this reason, and the fact that our youngest is still so little I don't intend on selling a lot of the products myself.   Most of my parties are done with my consultants to form training experience for them.   At this stage, I would rather concentrate using the time that I have on recruiting and supporting the girls out on my team.     I approached the owner of our company with this idea - and she jumped at the chance!

Only 3 months later I have a team of 46 consultants and I'm loving every minute of it!    I've never been so busy - but I'm loving it!     

One of the best things I love our company is the fact that it really is so family orientated.   I've lost count of how many times I've been told to always put my family first (of course we all want to do that - but some companys can make us feel guilty in doing this!)      We have no sales targets to meet, no pressure at any time.    We really can just run our businesses as big or as little as we would like to do around our families.

Thanks Marina, for giving me the opportunity to share!     Kath

candlekaren replied:

Okay marina - here goes!

Many moons ago I was a high school maths and science teacher in Central Queensland. I enjoyed teaching, but after 2 children and a move back to Brisbane, I found that most of my pay would be going to childcare. So I wanted to do something else! I joined my first party plan in 1999 (I think) and really enjoyed doing it. It fit perfectly around my young family, and I was also able to do a little bit of relief teaching. I fell pregnant with my third child in 2000, so I continued to PP, and she was born in November. On 1st January 2001, we actually moved the the USA with a 7 week old, a 3 yo and a 5yo, and 10 suitcases!! That was certainly an experience. Obviously I had to give up the PP company I was with. We spent 2 years in the States, and I could not work over there as I didn't have a work visa. While there though, I discovered my new PP - and I fell in love with the products!! I went to lots of parties and hosted quite a few myself!! During the last few months I was there, my consultant told my my PP was starting up in Australia! I was so excited! As soon as I knew we were coming back to Australia, I rang head office in Sydney, and I had signed up within a week of setting foot back on Aussie soil. My husband didn't even come home until about 5 weeks later! That was almost 4 years ago, and I am still really enjoying PL. They are an extremely generous company, and the hostess program is amazing. In fact I don't think I've ever come across one that gives a hostess more!! Over the last 4 years I have had other part-time jobs on and off - including selling mobile phones and teaching gifted children, but have always stuck with my PP! I'm now building a nice little team and hope that I can help them achieve the things I have. Thanks for reading!!!

RachelSaucy replied:

I joined Saucy Fish 8 months ago.  As a stay at home mum to 2 year old twin boys, it’s been a huge confidence boost to me, as well as a way to make some extra money and have lots of fun!              
I love being a stay at home mum, but at the same time I felt very isolated and every fortnight just wished we had that extra money to be able to do little things like going out to dinner, or go on a family outing to Questacon and as a single income family we found it hard to find the money for those luxuries – with Saucy Fish we can afford those little luxuries in life!!   
I started as a catalogue consultant and took 'baby steps' before I made the move to Party Plan.  I conquered my 'fear' of talking to people by slowing knocking on people's doors and introducing myself (instead of dropping the catty at the door and running!! ;) ) I soon discovered I could open my mouth and talk to complete strangers without going bright red and sweating!!  Needless to say making the move to Party Plan has been the best move I could have made for me and my family - I love it!!              I'm much more confident as a person now, and have made lots of new friends through my team and on forums such as this one .... and of course through my customers!!!         Party Plan has opened up a whole new world for me!!          Thanks Marina for starting a great post!  Who's next??

ExMember148 replied:

Ok, how long have you got?

I first did party plan with Nutri-metics way back when I was just in college studying teaching.  (Have you ever noticed how many teachers go into party plan?)  It was good fun, social, got cheap make-up and made some play money too.

After college, working, playing I then got involved in with Crafty Kids when it first came to QLD.  I was young and inexperienced (with a young child at the time) and the support from the company just wasn't there.  It was like, here is your kit, do what you like. 

After that, I kind of got 'conned' into joining Tupperware (I was always going to join Tupperware - I was just pressured into it at a very low time in my life).  Don't get me wrong, I love Tupperware, the whole Tupperware 'thing' - including rallies!!! I did enjoy my time with them, I even became a manager!!

Then I joined the real workforce for a while, had another baby, got married, bought a house.  Approx. 4years ago, we needed to have a little extra income, but the cost of child care was going to out weigh working.  So I decided to venture into partyplan again.  I researched ALL types of party plan and decided ADULT party plan was for me.  I had always been loud, outgoing and larger than life !!  I rang several companies and found myself comfortable with a Brisbane based company. 

After a stint with them, including exhibiting at SEXPO - for one reason or another (and now is not the time to go into this).  I decided that the company I was with, was not heading in the direction I wanted to go.  And that was UP!!  So many long hours of research, lots of reams of paper, many late nights.  We decided to open our own little company!

How did [ExMember148] get its name ?  I was talking to a friend (who is a graphic designer) - she was always saying you should open your own company.  I went over to her house to discuss this with her one day.  And as I was literally walking out the door, I said to her 'Just keep this all to yourself for now, its all [ExMember148].'  She said 'THERE is the name!!!"  She raced in, logged on to the net, found the domain and purchased it then and there!!! It snowballed after that!!!

So I don't declare to be a professional or to know it all, but I have seen a lot and learnt a lot in my years in both retail and party plan.   I always say please ask and if you need any help, I will try and help you.

jazzyjools replied:

Hi Everyone,

I am brand new at this business not an expert at all.  I have so much to learn and enjoy hearing your stories.  This is my story. I stumbled across the pp company Bali Dreaming after a friend mentioned she knew a lady who regularly travels to Bali and brings back jewellery to sell at peoples homes.  I absolutley love Bali, having traveled there several times I have an affinity with the place and the people I dream of having my own home wares business one day (but thats another story). Any way that got me thinking maybe I could Google and see if I could find out about this type of business.  So I Googled and came across the web site called Bali Dreaming.  I had a look and liked what I saw.  So I thought I would fill in the contact form in the Business Opportunity page and see if I could find out some more information.  Then I received and email from Bali Dreaming asking If they could phone me that evening, I responded with a Yes. The evening of the phone call we were packing to go to Darwin for a holiday just as my husband was taking our dog to the sitter the phone rang, I ran to answer it before he did as I had not mentioned it to him yet.  Any way I had a chat with Lucy from Bali Dreaming, who is lovely.  I said I would think about it while on holiday in Darwin.  We were staying with friends in Darwin and one evening some how we started talking about Bali, this is when I thought maybe this is a good time to mention the business opportunity to my husband.  I did he said it sounded good.  My niece and my friend and I then had a look at the web site and they said it looked good too.  So when the holiday was over I contacted Lucy and said I still had a few more questions but I was interested in joining.  It was so meant to be.  The week back at work after my holiday, I had my hours cut from 3 days to 2 days a week.  Initially I was peeved (that has never happened to me and the company I work for promised me that I could do what ever hours I would like when I first started nearly 4 years ago, and nobody else has had their hours cut only me)

I decided that it was meant to be. Especially since the day before I was talking to a friend and said how I would much rather work just 2 days a week, but we couldn't afford it.  Now as I no longer work on a Friday I have more time to be organised at home. I can also earn extra money without having to pay child care as pp is mostly nights and week ends when hubby is at home to help with our 3 year old Jade.  I work at my J.O.B (just over broke)  2 days a week. 

Mid year last year I was given a copy of the Secret DVD and have since been to a Sandy Forster seminar based on the book Wildly Wealthy as well as being a member of Sandy's secrets to success mastermind I believe that being more open to my dreams has manifested these opportunity's into my life.  I am extremely passionate about helping the children in Bali and if I only change the life for one child it will all be worth it.  It really is only the beginning for me I can't wait to go back to Bali and meet some of the children who are sponsored through the Kembali programme hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.  Hope this was not too long.  Thanks for the opportunity to share my story with you.  Best of Luck to all fellow pp members you Rock. 

Cheers Julie 

PS: This time last year I would have been in Bali on holiday with my family

Zammy replied:

Well I'm afraid my story isn't quite as interesting as some, but I'm willing to share just the same.
When my daughter turned 2 I decided that I needed to go back to work, I was feeling isolated at home and was craving some adult company, and it was definately time to get some exta income.
I'd never had troubles getting a job, so I knew I could go back into the "regular" workforce any time I liked, but I really didn't want to. I'm not too good with schedules and I really don't enjoy being told what to do and when to do it.
I took my daughter along to her first babyshow one day just to see what they were like (never again! a 2 year old sitting around for hours waiting to be looked at by strangers, what was I thinking????). There was a lady going around handing out entry forms into a draw, she didn't really pay too much attention to me, but I managed to grab a form from her and listen in while she talked about her company to a couple of other girls.
Didn't win the prize, but I took home some info from her and read through it. Having whet my appetite I jumped on the website and read some more.
On the entry form I had circled that I would be interested in having a party, but when she called me to ask about it, I said "I'm not so interested in a party, I want to join". Well seeing as how it was december Liz felt I should wait til early the next year as not many people would have parties for me over the christmas break (and she was right!) but boy was I impatient, by the time I signed up mid-january I was raring to go.
I haven't looked back since and I'll never work for another business again, I'm building a team now, and my aim is to be manager by the end of the year.

StampinUpMichelle replied:

I came across this topic this morning and I thought I would share with you all how I got into Stampin' Up! not a very exciting story:-

At the end of 2006 I said to myself & Hubby that I wanted to set myself a challenge for 2007, I have been rubber stamping for over 8 years and have just started getting into scrapbooking and I thought what better company to join than Stampin' Up! Only been in Australia since April 2006, you can never have too much stamping or scrapbooking product so on the 1st January 2007 I sent my paper work off and signed up.  In the beginning I wasn't sure where to start never done this business thing before but thought I would give it my best shot as I had nothing to lose and I thought how on earth was going to go at doing demonstration in front of people as I am a shy person a lot of the time but I hosted my first demonstration in my own home (which made it easier in an environment I knew) and invited some people not sure what the interest would be but I had 14 ladies come to my demonstration which I was overwhelmed with the response and everyone had so much fun and so did I.  I received 2 bookings from my demonstration which was encouragement as I thought well my demonstration could not have been that bad if they wanted to book their own demonstration and it has just snowballed from there. I have months that have been better than others but I am sure this happens to everyone but I love what I am doing and that’s the main thing.  I still work full time as an Export Documentation Manager but I am sure there will come a day where I will give up my full time job and just do Stampin' Up! Just a matter of time.

The best thing I have found with Stampin' Up! is that they really support there Demonstrators and you can chose what sort of Demonstrator you want to be whether you want to run it like a business or just be a hobby demonstrator and receive your products at a discount.  There is just a small sales target each quarter but there are bonus's along the way.  Stampin' Up! is just like one big happy family.

By becoming a demonstrator has given me the challenge that I was looking for, it has taken me out of my comfort zone, made myself more organised, I have made some nice friendships, meet so many people and I am not as shy as what I use to be.   I just love sharing my passion for stamping and scrapping with others and I don't regret one minute joining Stampin' Up!

Since joining this site I never knew that there were so many other Party Plans out there. I have met a few ladies off here now and I look forward to meeting more over the time. This site has helped me with my own business and I thank everyone that posts on hear regularly and to Mr & Mrs PP for creating this site.

Look forward to reading more about how people got involved with their party plan.

Feralsx3 replied:

I loved reading all your stories, they are so inspiring. here's mine.

I first saw Learning Ladder at a p.p. 5 yrs ago and wanted to join. However, I was in a very "controlled" marriage...so the idea was of course thought to be a waste of  $$ by the ex. I have since left him.Have now been with my new partner for 4 yrs and in may this year we had a baby.....very unplanned, but loved very much. Whilst at the recent baby and parenting expo (hey unplanned and 6 yr gap, I needed the info..lol) I stumbled across the company again........it took me forever to pull my older to girls away. When I mentioned all this to a friend she said "maybe thats why I had gone to the expo"

Now I know of lot of people don't beleive in "fate" and "Tarot Readings" but shortly after I left my ex I saw a reader who predicted alot of things, which have come true. She also said she saw me working with books..........spooky or what?

Jodi

P.s. Hush, what you said is true... I too have a background in teaching

MJ78 replied:

If you ask me the question - Why do you do party plan? My answer would be I truely believe that Party plan is a great work opportunity when we have little ones at home.

If you asked me this question before I had children, my answer would have been `what me? party plan? how pathetic, I will never do party plan.'

Yes I know shock horror! I hated party plan and everything to do with it (not that i really understood anything about it) I just didn't give it a thought or a chance. I hated having parties, hated going to other peoples parties because I knew I would feel obligated to buy or book my own party. I couldn't stand pushy party plan people, and the thought of me having to stand up in front of a room full of people (omg!).

I went to university straight from school and did a primary teaching degree with a music specialisation. I then started work as a full time primary school teacher. After a couple of years, I wanted to have my own family and once I had been home for 12 months with my son, I started looking for work around home. My friend and I attended a learning ladder conference and my friend signed up that night, however me......Well of course I still wasn't looking at party plan, so I became a home tutor for children and did that until I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter. I didn't want to continue tutoring as I knew that I would be having late nights and breastfeeding a newborn baby. I knew that I wouldn't be able to leave her alone for too long as my hubby would stress that she needed feeding etc, so I stayed at home again. Finances began to get tight!

It was then that I saw an ad for UnderCover Wear in my local newspaper. I had attended various of these parties for bridal showers and for my happy go lucky sister in laws who loved parties. So I knew this would be the one for me. I rang up (my now manager), organised an interview for the following day, then signed up that day, was kitted a week later and started the following week. I have never looked back. Why do I love party plan so much now? I love the convienence of working my own hours, of being my own boss (well sort of) and meeting new people, adult people, not babies or children. lol. It is ME time. It is my destress time and having fun time. Its not work at all, its FUN! I love the garments I wear them consistently, I spend hundreds everytime a new issue is released and I have confidence that I never thought possible.

I love party plan! It has been a wonderful experience and a lifesaver of finances. I love being my own boss so much that my OWN new business is about to kick off very shortly. I will let you all in on that secret soon - but without party plan it would have never been possible. 

LiLTam replied:

I thought I would share my story on here, even though I am so new to Party Plan, I am loving the decision I made to Join.

I am a stay at home mum of 2, a boy 7 and a girl 2. I had a love of Jewellery and had looked into joining various other companies when I came across an Advert in my local paper advertising for Jewellery Consultants so I phoned the ad and spoke to Snazza. She was so bubbly and friendly that I instantly felt at ease. I went around and met her and she showed me Saucy Fishes lovely products and so I signed on the spot as a Catalogue Consultant, however when I got home I was realizing I should have signed as a Party Plan Consultant. So within the week I made the Switch.

The help and support I am receiving from Snazza is amazing and you only need to ask her for help and its done.

I LOVE the Company and I love the freedom I now have to Earn my Income.

Replying to that Advert was the best decision I could have made.

Tam