It doesn't seem like it was that long ago, when I first told you about Reunion Coordinator (RC) and the beginning of Luis' DJ career; but alas, it's been five whole years. Within that time, I had become a Reunion Coordinator, and even went on to manage the company for three years. While RC was doing quite well, the owner's primary business had been skyrocketing, so he decided to sell the company. Thankfully, he offered me a job in the accounting department and sweetened the deal with a raise. I began assisting the CFO in September and continued to manage RC in my "free time"; until the end of the year when it was sold. Although the reunion business had its challenges, the rewards were greater. Luis had always talked about wanting to be a DJ and not only was he able to fulfill a dream, it was the catalyst for us to start DJ Louie and Company; which has been doing very well. We're not making millions by any means, but we LOVE seeing the kids and families in Peoria dance. We've been very fortunate with the clients that we've worked with and have met some fantastic people, DJing school carnivals, , weddings, vow renewals, Sweet 16's reunions and a variety of other events. Through RC I met some wonderful people who are now dear friends, I enhanced my event planning skills, and took part in celebrations that I will remember forever; but that chapter has now ended. Even though I could have continued planning reunions for the new owner, I decided that my time and effort would be best spent growing MY new business KEEP Collective.
While often welcomed, actually making a change, taking a chance, and starting something new can be scary and risky; but if we don't try to make a difference, we have to be prepared for things to stay as they are and for me that's not an option right now. Luis and I have always sacrificed higher salaries, for flexibility in our schedules so that we didn't require outside child care; and if you've met my kids, heard me talk about them, or read about them, you KNOW that our decision was the right one for us. Our kids are phenomenal, they are kind, thoughtful individuals who are excelling in all areas. I could go on and on about how absolutely incredible they are; but that's not the point of this post. Suffice it to say that as a family we are rich in so many ways, but the time has come for us to fatten out bank accounts and reap the financial rewards for our hard work.
About a year ago, an acquaintance of mine started selling a new line of jewelry called KEEP Collective. She explained that KEEP was a sister company to Stella and Dot and they sold jewelry that would let you create one-of-a-kind pieces to tell YOUR story. The jewelry was stylish and I LOVED the idea of being able to wear something to support my kids; but I wasn't ready to start something new at that time or make a purchase. In August, I saw my friend make a Facebook post saying that she was looking for two hostesses to have parties, so I decided to volunteer. The kids were just going back to school and I really wanted a bracelet that said "SWIM Mom."
I hosted the party, which only had two sales, so I didn't earn the potential hostess rewards, and ultimately purchased my bracelet, along with two Pave "M's"and a volleyball, so that I could make a bracelet that said "Volleyball MOM". Even before I made my purchase, I could not stop thinking about selling KEEP. I know many people who work for a variety of direct sales businesses, but none of them ever made sense for ME before. I never felt that I could sell a product that I couldn't afford in my own budget, nor did I ever feel passionate about a company before; UNTIL I learned about KEEP Collective. I was all set to talk to my friend about signing up; BUT, she didn't ask me about it; so I didn't ask her. Silly me! A few months later we did discuss it and she told me that she thought I would love it, and have great success, but she didn't mention it to me before because she didn't want to be pushy. We agreed to meet on Dec. 13th to talk about it more in depth; and right then and there, I made the decision that I should have made months before. That day I signed up, and I am thrilled to say that I am a KEEP Collective Independent designer and before I go on any further, I MUST thank the friends old and new, who made purchases during my first party. I cannot thank them enough for supporting me and I am so gratified that everyone is delighted with their purchases.
Now, what do I LOVE about KEEP Collective??? EVERYTHING!!!! It's important to me that the business leaders are women who support and encourage other women and that my earning potential is unlimited. Storyteller and promoter of the GREATER GOOD that I am, it's rewarding for me to be able to wear my beliefs, my message my causes. I've coined the phrase "Tell your story, share your passion, wear your pride." KEEP has partnered with the KIND Campaign whose message you have to know, I promote.
KEEP Collective is a positive company, whose motto's are displayed everywhere from the "life celebrated" cards that you receive with your purchases, to their "All things are possible", "live happy", and "You Can Sit with Us" bars. They have gorgeous script letter words, for "Love", "Believe", "Faith" and "Blessed" and I for one, enjoy wearing them as a reminder to myself. And lastly, all of the "keys" (the letters, symbols, bars) fit all of the "keepers" (the bracelets, pendants, key fobs) so you can change your look and grow your collection.
Becoming a KEEP designer was an inexpensive start up, compared to other direct sales businesses; just $149 plus tax and $5.95 shipping for $500 worth of jewelry, and the incentives kept rolling in. Within the first few weeks, I earned $100 in FREE KEEP plus two half price items. I earned the opportunity to upgrade my original kit for $50 and receive another $250 in jewelry; not to mention, I GOT PAID 25% commission, weekly. No need to wait for a check; they give you a special debit card and load your pay on every Thursday if you've earned commission. Of course I'll receive a higher pay rate as I excel and once I build a team, I'll make a percentage of their sales as well.
I feel truly blessed to have joined KEEP Collective during their first year of business. We currently have 10,000 designers and we're growing. This is still a ground floor opportunity for anyone who may be curious about joining me.
So here's the thing, THIS is not a sales pitch. The title of this post is "KEEPing it Real", because I want to catch you up on what I've been up to, and WHY I made the decision to sell KEEP. I want to spread the word about this amazing line, because it's still so new that most people (that I know), have never heard of it or seen it. I have no intention of turning the Bumpy Ride into a promotion for KEEP Collective, but as I'm hoping that it will be a big, important part of my life, I'm sure that I'll mention it from time. This one time though, I will say "Ladies and Gentlemen, PLEASE check out my website (Yes, I have a website...) You can take a look at the catalog and if items interest you, contact me so that I can mock it up for you and you can see what it will look like before you buy (just like the images that I shared above.) Valentine's day is coming and KEEP would be an ideal gift for your loved ones. (Just sayin...) If you'd like to host a party, through the magic of Facebook, anyone in any state can have a Facebook Social with me as their designer; which is awesome because it doesn't limit who I am able to work with. And of course, once you've checked out what we have to offer, if you think that KEEP might be the opportunity that's right for you; I'd be thrilled to have you join my team.
It's important to me that you know that while I may contact you with a design idea or to tell you that there's a piece that I think you might be interested in, it's not because I want to make money (that's a bonus); it's because I think that it's something that you might not know about and you may enjoy. If you're not interested, my feelings won't be hurt; but they will be hurt if you think that I'm using our friendship to make a sale. C'mon riders, you KNOW me... I'm all about the (say it with me...) "Greater Good"; and that includes showing you something that I think you'd like.
One thing I can say, I believe that working with KEEP will lead me to my own GREATER GOOD and afford me more time to pursue all of my interests including writing "The Bumpy Ride,"
At this time, I'm going to share a few more photos from the fabulous KEEP Collective collection and simply say...
Till next time,
Paige
