“Sugar coated Satan sandwich”

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Merry

How would you feel if someone told you your money management skills were like a “sugar coated Satan sandwich” to your face — or even across the nation on television. You may have even seen it on the national news.

I am not here to raise questions or take sides on ANY political issues. I write today because that term as seen on national news just makes me sick to my stomach. (No pun intended!)

The term was used to describe the “debt ceiling bill.” The real issue is about taking care and eliminating the crippling effects of debt.

Living with high piles of debt can feel like the effects of eatng a Satan sandwich — whatever that brings to your imagination.
Knots in your stomach
Can’t sleep at night
Barking at anyone who tries to get your mind off it
Medical issues …divorce…broken homes…job loss…on and on…

If you are feeling like you have a Satan sandwich in your gut — and perhaps it went down as if it were sugar-coated at the time — stay tuned. Go ahead and sign up for my news and tips. I have a lot in store for you as I unfold my project just for you.

My years of working in credit counseling and financial education have shown me many many good people are finding their way out of having eaten their own sugar coated satan sandwich. You may be one of them. Kudos to you! Some people are so overwhelmed they need a little more assistance.

I am looking for people – individuals, families, small business owners — who have worked their way out and are willing to share their successes with others.

Compensation Plan Worth Its Weight in Gold

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Merry

Are you looking for the BEST compensation plan?
Are you searching to find what will work for you?

Believe me . . . I have been down that road.

Do you feel like the money keeps eluding YOU?
In whatever plan you are in –
people are making boat loads of money!!
Whether on your job, in MLM, the industry you work in, where ever you are.

Why not you? You are worth it!

Then what is it that keeps eluding you?
What is it that makes the difference between you
not making what you are worth —

and the guys up the ladder
making boat loads of money?

Think with me for a minute.

When you look at a truly sustainable, long lasting, stable business,

the higher up in the organizational ladder you go,
what do you find?

• Compassion
• Emotional Intelligence
• Compassionate Capitalism

Look at: Rich DeVos, Amway; Bill Gates, Microsoft;
Henry Ford, Ford Foundation; and on and on.

This isn’t anything new.
We learn of these principles to live by in places
like a book I read called Proverbs

and demonstrated by people we all have read about
like Ben Franklin.

Are you living who you say you are?

I was on a mastermind conference call earlier today.
I heard the following:

Don’t let what you don’t got
dictate what you can’t get

Read that again.

Don’t let what you don’t got
dictate what you can’t get

Let’s think about that . . . Is what we don’t have in our pocket,

bank account, mattress,

unconsciously telling us what we can’t have?

Telling us we aren’t worth what another person is worth?

Whoa!! Hold on just a dog gone minute!!

To find the BEST compensation plan available to man
(note: here is the secret) look in the mirror.

To what degree do you demonstrate the above principles in your life?

Let’s be honest here. If we want to change
how the world (neighbor, friend) looks at us,

we have to change how we see our world.

It is as simple as that.
It isn’t about the compensation plan.
Or we would all be top income earners.

It is about the person we become that allows us to receive more because we become more to others.

Diligent, What Does It Mean To Apply It In Our Life

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Merry

Are you thinking “That sounds like work?” According to one on-line dictionary the word diligent is marked by persevering, painstaking effort, from Middle English, Old French, and Latin meaning to esteem, love.

Follow me on this for a minute. 98% of the people follow the path of least resistance – then wonder what happened. Why was life so cruel to them? They are the victim of someone else’s responsibility. They can’t even find enough money (not credit) to fill up their gas tank enough times to take their children to see Mickey Mouse! Oh, what prisoners they become of their small minds.

The wilting man goes to bed late, after watching all the things that are wrong with the world on THE NEWS, gets up in the morning after the snooze button quits working, complains about his job, dresses like other poor-me’s, never asks for the next assignment or more responsibility, looks for shortcuts to take the path of least resistance, spending more time planning for his next vacation that for his family’s future.

Meanwhile, The RULERS – the men and women of STRONG CHARACTER – choose a path of higher resistance and live their lives resisting the path of least resistance – resisting their own worst self. In so doing, they become the leaders, because they rule over the mob.

It is all about living your life with diligence. Living a life you love, a life you hold of high esteem. To be diligent is to demonstrate your ENTIRE being – the very core of YOU – is behind your every breath.

A diligent man is the opposite of the loser. You get to choose. To live a life of diligence, a life on a road less traveled, an attitude of a higher elevation. OR – You can choose to live a life of ease, continue to take the path of least resistance. To not raise your head above the crowd means you will never have rotten tomatoes thrown your way. (A lesson I had to learn the hard way.)

One of my mentors puts it this way: To EARN more all you have to do is “give more GIVE value than you get in GET value.”

The 98% don’t get what I just said. He takes and takes and asks the boss for more time off. Then wonders why he was rewarded with unemployment, or worse, a paycheck that reflects his willingness and ability to take on responsibility.

All the 2% do is to listen, serve and think differently.

The Creed of The Discipline of Doership asks us ALL to believe that whatever liberties anyone else ever had – we too have the freedom to contemplate. THINK of anything we dare to believe in.

The next step is to put that belief into action. By putting our belief in what we love, what we esteem, being careful and persevering in carrying out tasks or duties (from Old French: to value) – allows us the mindset shift that will take us from the 98% of mankind who doesn’t get what we are talking about, to the 2% that see a light at the end of their economic, oh poor me, dark tunnel.

If you have read this far, and would like to know more about the mindset that allows us to become a part of the 2% Club in life – notice I said “in life” not just “in money” – give me a shout. I’m not going anywhere. Just here to help you live a life filled with what you love and esteem by being diligent.

The easiest way is to put you name and email in the box right up there — and I will get you some more thoughts to ponder and put into action.

If You Want To Be The Boss, Don’t Act Like The Secretary

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Merry

Attention WOMEN: (Shh – This applies to men also.) The role you play with others can determine your future success, from inside the home to inside the boardroom. The tone you set will determine how you are perceived as a leader.

Research was conducted at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business on the roles women assume in small group settings. The result? Women often, almost five times more often than men, fell into the “compiler” role.

The compiler was defined as the person responsible for assembling others’ work into the final deliverable, whose tasks may include formatting, writing, or editing.

Men, on the other hand, reported playing the “thought leader” role twice as often as women.

The research could not identify the motivating factor to explain the compiler phenomenon. It was noted, however, more than two-thirds of both men and women chose their roles based on where they thought they could add the most value.

Focus groups and executive interviews imply that women are more detail oriented, conscientious and really try to understand the needs of the client.

Yeah!!! Jump up and down and shout “YES! YES! YES!” to the world women . . .

That is really good news. No matter what you are looking to take charge of, from your own household to your multi-million dollar company, understanding the needs of the client – your customer – internal or external – is the most important, basic task you can perform. ALL others stem off of that concept.

Re-read the last paragraph . . .

Beware of the player that ACTs like they have the game under control. Can they only play one role in a team environment?

Many ACT like they want to be on fire and help the world, but secretly, they can’t even afford a self-image that RECEIVES other people. – Joe Schroeder

They have ingested the beliefs of another man’s opinion of them. From the time they were little – “You aren’t good enough” – “You are stupid” – “You don’t count” – “You aren’t pretty”.

In the end, what a person has come to believe is their reality; it not even be close to the real deal.

Your reality is how you FEEL.

Did you get up this morning BELIEVING and FEELING like you were the Boss or the Secretary? Your job title does not define you. You do not need to be validated by every Tom, Dick and Harry to show credence that you can be a leader.

Only you can take on the role of Boss – only you can take on the role of “Thought Leader” in your environment. Vote yourself IN. Go ahead. You know you already have my vote.

Now go out and be the thought leader that allows YOU to make an amazing day for someone else.

For additional tips and resources to share with others, put your name and email in the box on the right. I promise I won’t spam you. I will send you occasional emails when I find great stuff to share with others.

Why AM I Such A Dork?

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Merry

Whoah!!!! What makes you think you are a dork?
If I called you a dork you would more than punch me through the wall!

Watch this video .. I know .. just go ahead .. take a peek .. and listen …

WE are the only ones that can make up our minds. We vote ourselves in or out of the “dork club”.

What we speak about in private ….. is what we will reveal in public. Hm…. Think about that (pause)

If we are telling ourselves – remember we have two ears and one mouth for a reason — If we are telling ourselves things about ourselves — we will come to reveal those things in public to others.

Go ahead poke around my site. Don’t forget to put in your name and email for more Great Tidbits!

Is A Thick Skin Necessary to Stand Tall?

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Merry

Have you become thick skinned? We often hear we need to have a thick skin and a soft heart if we want to be successful in network marketing.

I am here to challenge you to shed your old skin. Jump in the shower, scrub it off and let it go down the drain!

Why? – you ask.

If we are looking to start anew, whether it be a new day, a new chapter in our life, or a new way of looking at money, income and resources, we have to get rid of our old dirty, clingy, stinky baggage. I call it our old stinky moccasins – they are old and stinky, but they sure are comfy.

We need to put ourselves in a different “environment” to be able to take on new skills of success. Thus we need to shed the skin we live in to make way for a new skin to grow.

New skin comes from the inside – you say. Yeah!! You are getting it!! The new you takes in new seeds of success. Trainings in the form of videos, audios, books, articles, conference calls, training webinars. Given a healthy environment to grow inside you, they will develop and mature quickly. You CAN and WILL reap the fruits of your labor.

There is no “overnight success” in network marketing. You may see the latest email or launch. Before you turn around – they are being touted as the latest overnight wonder. You think maybe, just maybe you can do that too. YOU CAN!! Keep your dream alive!! Just remember it took them growing, developing, working from the inside out first.

It is said 99% of those starting anew – new business – new year’s resolutions – new diet – fail because they quit on themselves too soon. Perhaps cash flow is your issue. That is another discussion. Right now we are talking about YOU. The only one that allows you to fail is YOU. YOU are the only one that can quit on yourself.

OK, OK. I will back off. Don’t mean to be hard on you. Hope you are still reading.

I have just given you an example of why up-line coaches in network marketing tell their people to be thick skinned. If new, you may not have been able to take my encouragement. You may not have been able to “swallow” the seeds of success I have given you to plant inside yourself.

Let your dream become your skin you wrap yourself in. Take in the seeds of wisdom from those who have gone before you. Those going before you have left those seeds of wisdom for you to ingest and let grow and develop in your skin – in you. Let those seeds mature as you grow into standing tall.

You don’t have to have a thick skin – you have to be 10 feet tall and bulletproof from the inside out.

Check out the great Master Mind Community over there on the right in my links. You will love it!

Putting Your Assets to Good Use

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Merry

What are your assets? According to Miriam-Webster an asset is defined as an advantage, a resource, an item of value owned. Its origins come from “sufficient property to pay debt.”

In today’s economy many feel they have lost their “assets.” But have we really? Let’s take a look . . .

True, you say. I have lost the value of my retirement, I have lost the value in my house or now I can’t buy one. The unemployment rate is running at such a high rate we may be feeling we have lost our value as a person because we have no job. So sad to be in that position and mindset.

We are each unique. We each have assets that are just as valuable as the day we lost our 401K, lost 30% of our value in our home, lost our job in which we thought we were irreplaceable — our retirement bucket went down the drain (if we ever had one!)

YOU are your own best asset. Standing up, putting your strengths to work for you, digging deep enough within your selves to find those buried treasures and putting those treasures inside yourself to use for yourself is the best use you can make of your assets.

What did you do on that job that made you feel irreplaceable? Were you a leader? A supporter? What is one thing you can do better than any other employee did?

Remember, each of us was created by the same entity that created Rembrandt and Michael Angelo. YOU are no less unique and special.

YOUR assets, value, resources, are something YOU own — no one else owns YOUR ASSETS!!!

Just because you may have lost some value on pieces of paper does not mean any of your personal value, assets, or resources have been taken away.

Now we just need to help find and stir up those assets, putting them to good use in another setting or environment. We are truly living in an extraordinary time of opportunity. It doesn’t matter what someone else is doing with their unique assets. Put YOUR assets to good use.

Is Success Measured by the Amount of Money You Make?

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Merry

Many of us feel we have not been “successful” until we have amassed a pile of money. That may be true for some. No judgment. For many of us more money, financial stability, is our goal.

Maya Angelou writes, “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

Today’s economy is full of people out to make money. They hurry to be the first and the loudest to shove something in front of us and do their best to get us to buy. I ask you: How’s that working for you?
When money is the goal, there is no concern about how it is obtained. A person can be a robber, thief, extortionist, pick-pocket, and make a pile of money. Most of us do not want to go about paying for our lifestyle in that manner – so let’s take a little different look.

Follow me here with a little bit of mind shift. Let’s take our sights off the pile of money (dirty green pieces of paper) and look at what “success” really looks like in our life. What do you want to be remembered by? What would you imagine your last words to be before your last breathe? What do you want to be said about you at your memorial service? If you were to receive an award, what would that award be for?

This is what Maya Angelou is talking about. Finding that unique place inside you that is churning for a way out. Something you would love to do but not given yourself permission to explore. Perhaps you think you might fall on your face in front of people you care about. Perhaps you think people will laugh and scoff at you – think you crazy – all you friends would go away.

Now think – WHAT IF??? . . . Of course you are not accomplished at it to start. None of us are! You haven’t given yourself time. No one is a real “over-night” success.

Success has other measurements including accomplishing something you would love to do. When you find a way to become accomplished at what you love to do, share from your heart with others, and find those looking for you – KA BAM!!! They think you are successful. . . . . . Question: What do you think?

The First 3 Things You Can Do to Keep Your Credit Score in Good Credit Score Ranking?

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Merry

I get asked all the time the best things to do in order to protect your credit and to keep your credit intact in this economy.

The obvious is to pay all your bills before they are due and at least the minimum payment that is due. Creditors like to see long healthy relationships between credit users and credit granters. Let’s go beyond that today.

First – Monitor your credit report. By Federal requirement, any national credit reporting agency will give you a copy of your credit report at no charge. There are three major national credit reporting agencies. Because you can obtain one credit report once per year from each one, unless you are planning on buying a large ticket item, like a home, spread out your free reports by getting one per each four months from one of the agencies.

If you have reached a site that has anything that says “free . . . . “ you are in the wrong place. The one and only place designated by the regulators is the AnnualCreditReport.com site. Don’t fall for any others that want you $$

You can request a copy online, by phone, or by mail.

To request your free credit report from one of the national agencies by phone:

Call 1-877-322-8228
You will not be speaking to a live person. You will go through a verification process. Be prepared with information or call back.

To request your credit report from one of the national agencies by mail:

Down load the request form from the site above
Print out, complete the form, and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Second – Open any and all mail that comes into your home. If you have been in the same location for a number of years, you would expect anybody to be able to get in touch with your by mail. You may find one of those third party collection agencies I wrote about in a previous blog trying to get money from you. Don’t just throw the letters out and assume you don’t have anything to worry about. See my previous blog for more information.

Third – write your Senators and Representatives if you continue to have problems. Don’t expect them to fix your problem. Only until your Senators and Representatives understand what is going on in the credit industry to the average every day consumer they represent – and it begins to happen to them – will things change in the credit industry. Legislation has been talked about to change how the third party collectors can operate. There is a place for third party collectors, don’t get me wrong. That is another story. I am talking about the ones who are scaring people into paying debts that are not theirs, or taking up time and money to prove the debt isn’t yours – not easy.

Stay tuned for more information the creditors do not want you to know. Your credit score is being used to judge you in many ways. Let me help you work through the mumble jumble out in the industry. Tweet or share this to your friends. They will “like” or “friend” you for it!

Always Pay Your Bills on Time? – Still Keep an Eye on Your Credit Report

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Merry

Liz Pulliam Weston wrote a disturbing article on MSN Money Central today. The title: Debt-collector bullies at it again.

Even if you have developed your credit score, to say over 800, you need to have your eyes out to keep it that way. Not that you are doing anything wrong, but that not all debt collection agencies operate the same. — And they are getting away with it!!!

You ask: What does a debt collection agency have to do with me? Identity theft first comes to mind. That is a rant for another time. Here I am talking about a third party collection agency purchasing a debt for pennies on the dollar and getting anyone they can to pay for their “investment.”

Example: You get something in the mail that looks like junk mail — from some address that doesn’t mean anything to you. You toss it out or shred it. End of your thoughts about it.

What happens next is the real kicker. You do not respond within 30 days to dispute the validity of the bill that you just received. So what? – Then it goes on your credit report! Most people do not even know inaccurate information has hit their report until they go out to buy a large ticket item on credit – like a house.

After you have not disputed the bill in the allowed time, they can add more collection fees, court costs, and actually take you to court. If you do not respond to the legal notice (which you may never see) a court date is determined. If you do not “show up” to dispute the bill, a default judgment is given to the collection agency. In other words the court has determined you owe the bill even though it was never yours in the first place. By “default” the agency is awarded the judgment and then can execute according to the jurisdictional laws.

After over 25 years working in the financial industry on all sides of the desk, I saw this happening way too often. Stay tuned for more information. Our recent economic situation has fed fuel to the fire. The American consumers can and must be their own best financial advocate. Third party debt collectors are highly regulated. Knowing your financial position and keeping your eyes out can and will save you bundles of not only money, but health and heartache as well.