Today is a Great Day!

Go ahead, Say it out loud.

Does it feel "good", or do you find yourself hesitating a bit as you say it?

One of my mentors, Big Al, says:

"People don't have any free will, they just react to the situations around them."

Don't believe this?... think about this.

You, or your spouse go to work today and get a nice big raise! How do you feel?
Happy, Excited, Positive, Optimistic? Of course!

Now.. think of this... You, or your spouse go to work today and the boss tells you you have to work an extra 10 hours a week to keep your job, and they are lowering your pay 10%....
How do you feel now? Angry, frustrated, trapped, depressed? Of course!

See, people are reactive... but if we KNOW THIS, we can CHANGE THIS!

When I was a teen, I was fortunate enough to get involved with a group called Campus Life. They came into the schools and held fun events for teens, geared towards helping them stay out of trouble, build friendships and become grounded in a spritual life. Best thing that ever happened to me!

One thing they talked about that has stuck with me all these years was the concept of FACTS, FAITH, FEELINGS.

We have to keep things in order.. FACTS come first.

FACT: Times are challenging.
FACT: People are looking for ways to make extra money.
FACT: There is no other business around that you can start for just $10, than AVON!

FAITH: I have faith in our Avon opportunity and in the FACT that:

if people like Lisa Wilber, who started out in a trailer park, working at a convenience store, chasing down the guy from the electric company to give him cash so they wouldn?t shut off her lights, can do it...

or people like Sue Mazza, a small town girl who majored in fashion merchandising, who once was $65,000 in debt and now has built a 2 MILLION DOLLAR TEAM, and now enjoys free vacations to places like Cancun and Hawaii, can do it...

or people like Becky and Bob Dorsey, who replaced their income with Avon, and now, still have a thriving business with over $6 MILLION DOLLARS in SALES every year, money that keeps on coming, even after Bob had a headon crash that left him paralyzed for months, can do it...

or people like Sylvia Tamayo, who came here as a single mom from Mexico,without speaking any English, and now has built a 6 figure income with more job security than most CEOs of fortune 5000 companies., can do it...

If every day people like them can do it... You Sure Can TOO!

AND THE FEELINGS?

There is so much negativity in the news today that it?s hard sometimes not to get caught up in it. But, in spite of the media crying, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling!",

But there is lots of good news out there, and much of it in our own backyard!

People are cautiously optimistic that change is coming, in our government, in our economy.

There has never been a better time to be with Avon!

Great Products, Great Prices, Great Opportunity!

Suze Orman thinks so! She said: "here has never been a better time to start your own business, and you won' find a better partner than Avon!"

Andrea Jung, Avon CEO, just appeared on Good Morning America, to rave reviews!

If you haven' seen the video yet, check it out at : http://www.abcnews.com/ . Go to the site and search "Avon". You will see 3 of 7 links, including the video link titled "Avon Helps Women in Tough Economic Times", as well as an audio link of an interview.

Be sure to tell everyone you know to go to this link and view the video.
This is an incredible opportunity for you and your business!

So, let's build our business, based on the facts:

We have a great company with products and an opportunity to change your life, for all!

Based on the faith, that If Lisa can do it, and, Becky and Bob Dorsey, Sue Mazza and Sylvia Tamayo, you can too!

Based on the feelings, The "feelings" , well, there's a reason they are last in this little equation.

Feelings are just that, feelings. We can't base our business performance on them.

We all must choose which way we want to feel.. and stick with it.

If you think you can, YOU CAN! And if you let yourself think you can't, well you're probably right there too! Don't go there!

Don't let yourself be swayed by what others say or are doing,

Remember, a BIG SHOT, is just a LITTLE SHOT WHO KEPT ON SHOOTING!

Here's to Your Success!

Sue Mazza
Senior Executive Unit LeaderAvon Products
630-240-0075
www.youravon.com/smazza

Selfish Philanthropy

Thursday morning started earlier than normal for me.

For over 15 years, I’ve been blessed to live the great life of a networker.

Although I don’t wake to the sound of an alarm clock because I have to go to a job, one of my greatest blessings as I’ve built my Direct Sales and Network Marketing businesses has been to be available to my family. Every day, almost without fail, I get up early and make sure my family is ready to start their day.. at school, work, in their business endeavors. Trust me, some mornings, it’s hard to be an early bird when at heart you are a night owl!

Could I sleep in? For sure, but I have the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE! And I choose to put my family first!

This Thursday, however, I rose an hour earlier than my usual 6 am. I had bribed (literally) my high-school-aged daughter to let me take her to school early and headed off to a business networking meeting, starting at 7 am.

I knew I had a long day ahead of me – I had scheduled appointments with new and current representatives and prospects all the way through until my final appointment at 9 pm and was excited for a busy and rewarding day.

I entered the conference room of the bank at which the networking event was hosted and smelled the fresh coffee waiting for me! Good start, I thought!

I mingled among the early morning guests, introducing myself and meeting new friends.

As the event began, everyone had an opportunity to introduce themselves and their businesses.

I was prepared, ready to share a great lifestyle Magazine about income freedom and some samples with all my new networking friends.

As the introductions went around the room, I heard people sharing, with varying levels of presentation skills, about their business. Some more casual, some practically climbing on top of the table with enthusiasm for their product or opportunity.

I listened, hearing many familiar sincere declarations and industry catch-phrases and thought a bit more about what I would say.

Half way through the bakers’ dozen, it was my turn. Like many people there, I had more than one interest in my business life. An established, successful business that has provided me with a great income, the free cruises and trips, recognition and awards that come along with being at the top of your game, and a newer adventure, already well on it’s way to surprising personal growth and success.

I shared a bit as I passed around some of the magazines and my Avon Brochures(labeled with my contact info of course) and some product samples (labeled as well) and then moved into a concept I had been contemplating for some time.

What exactly do I do?, I mused aloud to the group? I’m a business and personal coach… like some of you here have said you do as a fulltime career. And I share some fantastic products that people love and benefit from all across the country.

We may start off in our business thinking we are an upline, but as we impact individuals’ lives and help them move from the point of entry into our business towards success in their life and career, we become much more.

Coach, Cheerleader, Mentor, Friend, Leader, Teacher, Workout Partner, Nag, and so much more .. we impact the lives of those around us more than we may think!

It’s been said that Network Marketing is a great personal development journey with a bonus check attached.

That couldn’t be more true.

We give of our knowledge, experience, compassion, time and resources freely to help other people change their lives and fulfill their dreams of personal and professional achievement and freedom.

And in return – and in proportion to how much value we provide in peoples’ personal and business growth, our companies pay us a bonus. The better we do at providing value, the more we can earn.

So… are we generous? Giving our all to all who ask… rejoicing with the few who are brave enough to change their attitudes, their actions and their lives… and sadly watching the many …. who are unable or unwilling to do what it takes to achieve success… but continuing our mission regardless to impact lives –

Or… are we selfish? As we give, exponentially our income grows. As our influence impacts others for good and they duplicate and expand their sphere of influence, our bonus checks grow! And the more we teach others, the more we can earn with the right compensation plan and company!

I guess it’s a little of both. I call it Selfish Philanthropy. Works for me.

My new networking group seemed to like my story - and they loved the samples I brought to share.

I told them, I’ll tell them another great story the next time we get together. And, as they asked for, maybe bring some more samples. That got smiles all around. I love the Freedom of being a Rich Networker!

Time For A Change?

Good Morning Leaders!


Leaders? Yes, that's YOU! But, do you have some days when you don't feel much like a leader?




When you feel that your business isn't going right?

I've got good news for you! WE ALL DO!

And the BETTER NEWS is that feeling that way can be a good thing! "How??", you ask...

Sometimes Success and Change come from feeling dissatisfied, if not downright disgusted with your

life, your weight, your finances or your business!

And the BEST NEWS is that you can become better at any of those things, starting TODAY!

You can become a Better Leader TODAY!

You can make the changes you need in your life TODAY!

It's as simple as making a decision. "But I have so many problems", you think.

"I don't have any money to promote my business", you think.

"My family doesn't support me", you think. All those are real situations that we face.

But those things don't have to stop us! Zig Ziglar said: "If you think you CAN or you think you CAN'T, you are probably right!"

Take a 9 minute break for some great inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRMogDrHnMQ


The thoughts we think lead us to the actions we take, which lead us to the results we have!

Want to change your results? Change your thoughts! Change the things you let into your head every day!

Turn off the bad news, turn on an mp3 or cd of an inspiring speaker!

If you're not in charge of your life, who is??

You can decide TODAY to turn your life around, business or personal, good, bad or even if you're happy and

just want life to be even better! "If it is to be, it's up to me!" A classic saying, yet true!

I'm a small town girl who has built a huge business all over the country.

Am I smarter, stronger, more beautiful or charming than anyone else?

Nah. Just determined and motivated! And willing to do what it takes and learn the skills I don’t

know today so that I can become better tomorrow! If I can work towards accomplishing my goals, so can you!

And, I'm here to help! Need ideas? A little extra motivation? Want to improve skills?

I'm always up for a cup of coffee ... and I'll even buy! LOL ! Let's share great ideas as we build our businesses together!

and change our lives, our families’ fortunes, and the lives of people around us for the better!

So, what’s stopping you today? Change your thoughts. Change your Actions. Change your Results.
Give me a call or email me here today!

Here's to Your Success!

Sue Mazza
Senior Executive Unit Leader, Avon Products
630-240-0075
www.youravon.com/smazza

ps - I'm on Facebook now too!

Men and Women - A Tale of Two Brains

This Video Totally Cracks Me Up!

DO IT by Art Williams

Check out this video by a highly successful man!

One of my favorite quotes in this.. "A winner will stay excited long enough to win!"

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33740709

You can't Hire other People to Do your PUSHUPS FOR YOU!

This quote is from one of my favorite trainers, Jim Rohn (http://www.jimrohn.com/)

We can hire people to do all kinds of things for us.. pass out brochures, make phone calls, even deliver our orders for us.

But some things, we have to do for ourselves. As much as I get excited by ideas I learn from great trainers and motivators like Jim Rohn, or Tom "BIG AL" Schreiter (http://www.fortunenow.com/ ), that motivation only lasts a short time.

If you are at all like me, we encounter challenges in our business sometimes that take the wind out of our sails a bit. Maybe a customer doesn't pay us on time, or a new team member doesn't follow through on her plan. Sometimes "life" just gets us down.

But the key to getting results from our "pushups", and seeing results in our business is to move into action. Do the first pushup.. then another. Go pass out a few more brochures, or stop into the video store on a Friday and Saturday afternoon and leave some books there! (Don't leave too many or on other days or someone might re-fill that rack by the "out" door and toss them, but the stores are busy on Fri and Sat and it's a great time to leave them there then!)

Set aside 15 minutes on Sunday night to plan out your week, for both personal and professional events and actions. Then be sure that you are prepared to take action. Got biz cards and labeled brochures in back of the car, ready to go? Schedule your web office to send out emails to customers automatically every campaign. It's a new feature in September!

Find a mentor, or a "workout partner" with whom you can share ideas and be accountable with... it's always easier to "workout" when you have a partner!

Most important, as A. L. Williams says: JUST DO IT!

Wanna Explode Your Avon Leadership Business?

People come to me all the time and say things like: "Man, you're so lucky" or "How did you do it? How did you build such a big business?" or " Yeah, of course, YOU can do it, You're Sue Mazza, but I don't know if I could do it..."


And am I lucky? Yes.. lucky to have had great mentors and great opportunities. Lucky that God gives me the strength each day to pick myself up when I fall and get back on track! I always laugh when people say I'm lucky, cause it's true.. the harder I work, the luckier I get.
I love the money, the trips, and the friends I've made! How many people can say they run a 2.5 million dollar business from home? It's a good feeling at the end of the day!


But, how did I do it? What's the SECRET? More importantly, how can YOU DO IT?
The REAL KEY is... and I had to really internalize this for myself... so, I will use myself as the example.


The KEY is that it is Not about me qualifying for a title, or a prize or a trip or a new level, it is about helping people on my team, at all levels, develop into leaders and advance in the business. By focusing on those who want to move forward (and that can change from day to day!), I can help them move onto a path of personal development and skill development so they develop the skills and the belief they need to Get and STAY moving in the right direction. It's all about helping them find their "whys" and helping them to dream to achieve them. Otherwise, if it's all about "me", all I do is recruit and replace people on my team and never begin to build deep and wide.


Does this seem like an easy answer? It may be, but in order to get there, I had to first work harder on me than anyone else and it's the honest to goodness truth,. because no one will work hard for little reward at the beginning unless they have an overwhelming desire... to achieve a goal, a dream, become something more. To keep working when the money's not coming in as fast as you want because you BELIEVE there is a great future coming at you. At the beginning, you're learning how to become successful, and the great thing is, in our business, you can earn a little money while you are learning! And the faster you can help others, the faster that freight train of success starts barrelling towards you!


All the rest is just strategy and tactics.. which boils down to three things.. the three R's (Thanks, Mike) Retail, Recruiting and Retention. That's the bottom line. And if you and I could get every leader on our team to internalize this, then, in fact, you and I will always be at the top of the payplan, looking for new people to help join us at the top!

6 Degrees of Separation? Not for me! How about 1!

The Movie, "Six Degrees of Separation", starring a young Will Smith, put forth the idea that we are only at most 6 people away from contacting any other person on the planet. Far fetched as it may seem, if you google these words, you can find a plethora of research to support this theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation

You may have heard of the Kevin Bacon game, based on this idea, that every actor is just 6 people from being related by career or otherwise to this prolific actor.

Well, technical as this may seem, I recently read a post by a sales trainer who says we are just 1 referral away from 1,250 prospects for our Avon products or business!

Unbelievable? Let's take a look.

Research shows that almost everyone over the age of 21 knows at least 250 people (and actually, LOTS more!). Let's say you have just 5 acquaintances... and ask each of them if you could notify their friends that you have a growing Avon business. You could ask your friends to send an email, include a note on their family website, take an Avon brochure to work with them, or to the family reunion.. 5 friends times their 250 contacts equals 1,250 people... all of whom are just one referral away!

What would you do with 1,250 prospective customers or representatives? What if it was just 10% of that? 125 people who learned that you have an Avon website or a terrific way for them to make money without having to go get a part time job?

How much more would you earn in your Avon business by just asking a few friends to forward on an email introducing your business to their contacts. At the least desirable end, they could always just say no. At the most desirable end, they could say YES and you would have all kinds of new people to whom you were personally referred.

What do you think works better? A brochure dropped on a driveway? Or a note from a friend, recommending another friend to do business with? Why, the second choice of course!

Third Party Referral (this is what this is called), is THE MOST POWERFUL way to build a huge, thriving repeat business.

We all like to do business with people we know like and trust.. When you look for a plumber, or an electrician, do you ask your friends for reliable and reasonable servicepeople? You bet!

Same idea here. Want to give it a try? Let me know how it goes by clicking on the comment button!

One last thought. Maybe asking your friend to help you promote your business makes you feel a little uncomfortable.

Successful people are willing to do uncomfortable things now so that they will be comfortable in the future. Comfortable in friends, in business, in success. Let's stretch that comfort zone just a little bit today, so we can enjoy happier, more prosperous tomorrows.

Tacky Pants

So, today's blog title is a little "light"! That's ok.. life isn't always serious! (although that's another topic - this life isn't a dress rehearsal)

My daughter Stephanie went out last year to buy me a Star Trek page a day calendar. I ask for one every year and love seeing the pictures and captions each day and remembering my favorite episodes from all the shows.

Well this last year, SHOCK! Santa played a cruel trick on me and there WAS NO Star Trek Page a day calendar to be found in any store or online. I was more disturbed by this end of an age for me than I let on to her, but accepted her gift of a replacement calendar with passing grace.

What she gave me was a page a day calendar of dumb things people say. Now, first of all, if your teen gives you such a gift, what would YOU think? 'Nuff said here, my friends.

Well, yesterday's page a day was a 'hoot', as my friend Mary Jo in NC says.

Here it is. "Correction: Because of a reporting error, Dr. Arleigh Dygert Richardson III, former teach at Lawrence Academy in Groton, was described in his obituary yesterday as favoring tacky pants with tweed jackets and Oxford shorts. Dr. Richardson favored khaki pants. (correction appearing in the Boston Globe, thanks to R.M.)

Well, poor Dr. Richardson! First of all, the tacky pants is kind of funny, except it is in the poor man's obituary, and his widow probably fainted when she read it. But more importantly, after we finish chuckling about how the newspapers can turn things around, (again another topic), let's think about this for a minute.

Dr. Richardson, a teacher, probably impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of kids' lives over his years of teaching. I picture him with a family, and I bet he loved them and they, him. Joys and Sorrow, Laughter and Tears, an entire life of contribution summarized only with a line about the clothes he liked to wear. And they didn't even get that right.

Maybe the funeral notice had more in it. I sure hope so. I laughed at this silly page a day on August 23rd, but it made me think about what people would write about me when I leave this world.

I like to think that I positively impact the lives of those around me. My family, friends, business partners, random strangers.

But this little snippet reminded me that our lives are short on this earth, that only God knows the number of our days. I want to be remembered as someone who made a difference in people's lives. How about you?

Let's make today a new start. Regardless of how you have impacted others lives in the past, today we can all begin to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us.

Smile at someone, strike up a conversation. Pay it forward. Take a chance. Fall in love (or fall in love all over again with the one you're with). Start a new person in business on the road to achieve their goals and dreams. Dream yourself. Watch the sunset. Live this life to the fullest. You are the star of the show, and it's not a rehearsal.

Here's to happiness, health and success!

Success Principles

Why do some people succeed in business and others don't?

You probably could have almost as many answers to this as you do people who ask the question!

On People, Jim Rohn said... when asked why some people succeed and some quit..

"you might just as well ask why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west! It just does"
(loosely quoted by me)

External motivation is always short term
Internal Motivation is long term

Each of us, as leaders, has to get to the heart of the matter ourselves, to find out what burning passion will motivate us to get through the hard times.

Goals are what get us through the day
Dreams are what keep us going when the going gets tough

Do you have a dream? or alot of dreams? Do you need to reconnect with your dream?
If you want to move forward in your business, you must, MUST take the time to bring your dream out of the dusty corners of your mind and heart.

You MUST find the burning desire... (money, recognition, helping others...) that will move you into action. If you can't do that, ask your upline for some exercises to help you reconnect with your dreams.

Then, get concrete action plans on paper, review them often, revise and tweak as needed so you stay on course, and then get into action.

The best dream will always be wishful thinking without written goals and solid action.

Make up your mind - YOU WILL NOT QUIT! I can tell you now, you will have setbacks, you will have days, weeks, even months where you wonder if you will ever achieve your goal.. but don't quit... even if you have to say to yourself... I won't quit TODAY.... I will continue forward TODAY!

Find a workout partner, someone you can share your goals, dreams, plans with, and who you can work with so you both have someone that is there to nudge you on, keep you focused and challenge you to be your best self in your business and personal life.

This life is not a dress rehearsal, live it to the fullest, make every day count. Laugh often. Tell your family you love them. Work hard to bring value to people's lives, to make them better. Pay it forward.

Success is within your grasp. Reach for it and don't stop!

Here's to Your Success!

Sue Mazza
Helping people achieve their goals!

Windsurfers Make Me Think

Today, I'm sitting on the beach with my laptop watching some windsurfers in front our beach cottage on the lake. That's not why I came out here though! I came out, after working on my home business, to enjoy a little sun and sand and deepen my tan! But after about 3 minutes, I gave it up and moved 100 feet or so back to the firepit where we have our beach bonfires because its just too windy!

I was disappointed but then got to thinking... isn't that just like life?
We start out in one direction and encounter a roadblock. Maybe a job doesn't work out to be your dream job. Maybe that guy (or gal) you thought might "just be the one" turns out to be a real nightmare. Things don't always go the way we plan, that's for sure. One of my favorite sayings is, "Life is what happens, while you're making other plans!"

But what made me think today is, although I was disappointed.. with the exact same conditions, the wind and kite surfers were esctatic! Sunny day, warm waves and lots of wind! They took advantage of an opportunity that I wouldn't even consider.

Now, does that mean that I'm ready to take up windurfing? No, not my style, although it looks fun. The one time I tried it, on vacation in Cabo, I ended up drinking more of the ocean than surfing on top of it. It's hard work. But... I did learn that maybe I could be open to more new ideas, get rid of the old habits that hold me back... find new ways to build my business. Lots of things I do now work GREAT, but there are always new ideas that will make my biz grow even bigger!

And tomorrow, it'll likely be calm again and I'll work some more on that tan. Right now, I'm going to go watch the windsurfers for awhile more, then go eat some sushi with my daughter!
I have to admit, I love the life of a "rich networker" and working for myself!