GROW

People of all walks of life and beliefs, listen up. I've got a few  words to say. You may not like it but I've had to hear you out… face to face, in church, out of church, and even on my Facebook feed. I've heard you and now I ask you pay me the same respect.

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I live in my own little world. In it, is the little area I travel around in, the people I connect with and the career I focus on to give me financial security and all of it makes me happy. While it's true that my world is small, it's also filled with complications, unhappy experiences and moments of pure joy.

Disclaimer, I will be talking a little about God. Now I'm not here to convince you that God exists or doesn't exist. I believe that the quest to find the truth behind God’s existence is an individual journey. At the end of the day, it's your choice. No one is holding you at gunpoint. As for me, you'd really have to know me well to know why I do believe God is real. There are too many occasions for me to think otherwise. I just don't have enough faith to be an atheist. But like I said, convincing you of God’s existence is NOT what this article is about.

Instead I want to talk about you and me. Several years ago I was driving along a road with picturesque harbour views in my home town when I suddenly decided to ask God a question. I don't know why. I was feeling a little blue. You know the feeling… one step forward, two steps back, nothing is really going according to plan and everyone is taking me for granted… that feeling. Mahatma Gandhi once said that “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” But let's be honest… who here has experienced the kind of peace that is unaffected by outside circumstances?? I think peace is easily stolen but we have the choice to leave the door open for the thief just to bowl on in. Anyway, I was not at peace and so I asked God a question.

“If I take away my friends and family, my little house, my career that I love and all the gifts and talents I have… If I take away all of those things from the world… who am I?” I could not find the answer. That's what we do don't we? We might ask for a mighty response, but really, we look to ourselves first to see if we already know the answer. But I'm such a visual person and while driving down the road, I imagined what it would be like with all of those things removed from the picture. And there was nothing left. Nothing. So I shrugged. Then I heard a reply. Not an answer… a reply. From what I swear was coming from the back seat of the car, I heard “well Vickie, who are you?” At that precise moment, I was feeling relieved. Relieved I had reached an intersection and not crashed my car looking at the direction of where that voice came from. Then came a flood of a hopelessness I don't think I had ever experienced before, until that day. What remained was a rudimentary beginning of an animated image of me on a blank page. That's how I began to feel. And it went on like that for three years.

I could go on at this point and describe the journey, but I won't bore you with the details. Except to say, during this depressive state, I learned a lot. So much so that the person I was is no more. Sure there are remnants… I'm still as funny as ever and I still love my family and friends and of course chocolate, but that's where it ends. All I want to share with you today, is some of the lessons I have learned in the hope it resonates with at least one of you. So here they are…

1. We are human. Big surprise. But without the “stuff” that had made me – me, all of a sudden the realisation of my own humanness had gravity. I'm flawed. I make mistakes. I'm far from perfect. And you are the same. Without the “stuff” I was a shell of a person and it was a shell I either had forgotten about or didn't know to begin with. Biology tells us that we  are born from cells, passed down to create us. We are created by growing then we are born and then we grow. We multiply everything, in fact growth when we are children, is our primary biological function. We develop ideas and belief systems based on our upbringing and the development of our brain. It's all about Growth. But why is it when we get to adulthood, we decide to stop growing? As children, we didn't just grow in height, we grew our thoughts, our ideals, our moral fibre, our sense of humour, our love for others. That should never stop. In childhood it became as simple to do as growing bones, hair and acne, in that order. Why is this other kind of growth no longer second nature to us?

Now I can't see where God says to love everyone (which is good because I just refuse to love Hitler) but He did say, according to the bible, to love your enemies… that’s some serious commitment to love right there! He went as far as to sacrifice His own Son (and people hated Him) for the love of the world. Yet for some reason we can't seem to accept, tolerate, acknowledge and yes love others because they don't live like you. Man, woman, straight, gay or maybe they just don't know. White, black or somewhere in between. Big eyes, slant eyes, green eyes and red hair. Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, Christian or Jew. Worshiping one God, many gods, demagogues or even the sun. Perhaps it's self worship, on the journey to self enlightenment, to find eternal life, peace, the edge of the world or just to eat pray love. Marmite or Vegemite, margarine or butter, meat or vegetarian.  National or labour, trump or Clinton. Pro life or pro choice. Live in a world with stem cell research or live like Amish who never get sick. Climate change is getting worse or on the up and poor old Neil Armstrong walked on the moon… or maybe not. Aliens may or may not exist, some people can talk to dead people or perhaps they just might be greatest fraudsters alive. You see…. As long as there is the freedom to choose in life, there will always be enemies who go against you. That will never change.

I'm going to tell you something now that may upset you. It may upset you because you may not agree with it. But I ask that you hear me out until the end. My answer won't change, but your perception of me might. I believe that because all life is about the choices we make, so too is one example… your sexual orientation. I don't judge you if you choose to be gay and I ask that you don't judge me for being straight. That said, there is a difference. I have heard people say “I didn’t choose to be gay” but I've never heard people say “I didn't choose to be let down by my own biology.” If our primary function is to grow, the only way to grow other humans is for a female and a male to be paired together. I believe that if you fly under that rainbow banner of being gay or transgender or transsexual or anything other than heterosexual (the biological pairing), you have had to, at some point in your life, made the choice to do so.

Note,  I never tried to say to you… “turn back, change your lifestyle” or “you're sinning against God!” I'm not qualified to do so. No one is. And that's my point really. I can love you, care for you and wish you all the best, just as I would do for any choices you might make in life. I hope you'd do the same for me. Oh, don't get me wrong, if you came looking for an alternative option, I'd be there to offer the option I believe in. But it’s your call. This is how I wish the world would treat each other. What is this naming and shaming that's going on? In the shell of me, I realised how easily grieved I feel that there is a considerable lack of tolerance and most importantly, love for one another in the world. Please don't judge others unless you are prepared to be judged (and no one ever truly is prepared for that.) love your neighbour. My sister loves Vegemite and yet I still love with her all my heart. Start small… and grow. For goodness sakes, grow.

2. We are capable of making mistakes. And boy have we made some doozies. But I think it's in our mistakes that we find the biggest acts of intolerance. When others falter we judge and when we are stuffing up, we do all that we can to pass the blame. In my shell of a human form I realised I can't change the fact that I make mistakes. Sometimes, despite my best efforts, I suck at life. Why can't we all just admit that? Why can't we all just say a big fat “I'm sorry” to the world? Someone recently told me that there is actually no such thing as failure as long as we don't give up. But a part of me thinks that failing at stuff is just part of who we are. As long as we can learn from our mistakes, we can grow away from them.

3. What remains standing is your belief system. Which honestly surprised me. Without the stuff.. I was able to see my flaws and my beliefs… in God, in other people and in myself…. As if my belief system was somehow an organ of my body… it was right there. Like a house with just its bones in view. I know from personal experience that sick bones are a terrible thing. You owe it to yourself to nurture those spiritual   bones. A belief system is an anchor for your life. Don’t knock until you've truly tried it.


4. What will be, will be. You need to choose what to battle with. And it IS your choice. Just as it is your choice to allow your peace to be stolen by circumstances and people around you. Far too many times I have seen horrific scenes on my Facebook feed that has a political agenda attached. Or Christian scenes talking about the end of days and how everything is just doom and gloom. We see it in the news, we get it from different religions and I for one have had enough. Christians who are called to be the light, are bringing more darkness than. I care to see on my newsfeed. Meanwhile the media is bringing their biased version of the news and no one, it seems, is bringing the truth. People arguing about conflicting ideals… pro choice or pro life , gay marriage, invading countries etc. Again I say, what will be will be. I'm not in Syria. So I can't comfort a child who has lost everything. Yes, I can pray, but ultimately, it's God that does the work if we ask Him. But I can also live my life by being positive, offering alternative choices to others who come calling, work in my own community, care for my own family and by being happy. That HAS to be the great example to set in this world and surely, the greatest legacy I can offer. I want my nieces and nephews to know that regardless of circumstances in this world, they are loved and that they make me very very happy. I can disagree with what's going on around me. But I can't change it by scaremongering others. I can only change my own little world that I live in. I also think as humans, we have a responsibility to do just that.

I'm learning to be happy. And it's growing every day. In the bare bones of my humanness I found that finding happiness in life is crucial. It's oxygen. It's not enough to have a happy childhood. We can't just stop there and say, “well it was good while it lasted eh?” This might seem childish to say but I really believe that happiness is a contagious force that can turn this world around. And it starts with just you and me. Love, grow, stop judging others, make mistakes, apologise when we make mistakes, nurture your soul with a strong belief in something and don't ever stop learning to be happy.

Love Vicks.

Attitude will Determine your Altitude

Some of the most devastating yet empowering times in my life have occurred when someone I respect, has told me I'm being a royal pain in the backside.

My friend Ali and I go a long way back and she is always someone I greatly admire and respect. That admiration was tested one day when she took me to lunch and told me what a hassle I was being. She actually used the word 'hassle.' I was devestated. Me? I thought I was being delightful and talented. A hassle, really? Yet when the tears, the tantrum and the blame game was put aside, I had a hard look at myself and found that in fact, everything Ali said was true. On the project we were both working on, I was actually quite frustrated that I wasn't getting further ahead. I played the antagonist in the group and yet I just thought that was a good thing... Iron sharpens iron, right? No... I was just being a pain. My attitude stunk. No wonder I wasn't moving forward. 

Zig Ziglar once said "your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." I love this quote because there have been so many times in my life where I can see that this is one hundred percent true. 

How is your Nutrimetics business growing? What has been the highest place, the biggest dream achieved so far? Now ask yourself the tough questions... How much of your success has been defined by your attitude? How much has been defined by your skills and talent? I know that every time I have an attitude or am responding negatively to things in business, my whole business suffers. My business growth is stunted. BUT, if I choose to have the best attitude, regardless of circumstances, my business grows. How can a business, which can be surrounded by challenges and sometimes negative outcomes (e.g cancelled party dates) STILL manage to grow despite it all? ATTITUDE. So if you are looking for an attitude audit, here are my own top tips and lessons...

1. LET IT GO

No, I don't mean start singing the song from Frozen. Most of our negative attitude comes from not letting go of issues. Many of us just LOVE to hang onto those things. So you are going on a hike with a friend. It's going to be amazing but you will need to be very prepared and the hike will last for several days. You will need the essentials and the items that will make that hike a lot easier to manage. Inside your hiking pack you add your university course books, your favourite necklace, a beach ball and your ghd's. Like a backpack filled with items you will NEVER EVER need, there are things we need let go of when it comes to our business. Problems will always present themselves. But it shouldn't stop you in your tracks for long. 

2. HAND IT OVER

If I could just manage every single little detail of my business, of my team and of my life, then surely things will grow, right? No! Believe it or not, your desire for control is one of the biggest reasons why your business does not grow. I'm not talking about having an organised diary, ticking off the to do list or vision planning... These are all good things. I'm talking about the micro managing of every single detail. When my business team was the size of about 70 people I truly loved that I knew most of them. Now, at 200, I've had to change my attitude. There will always be people I don't know. There will always be people who don't do what they say they are going to do. It's the same for you. As we grow, we need to rely on the systems already in place, rather than run around like a crazy person, making sure we know everything about everything and everyone in our business. If someone in your team does not do what they say they will do... Who's actually missing out here? Who's loss is it... Really? Not yours. Everyone has the same opportunities and its up to the individual to decide what opportunities they want to grab hold of. 

3. BE ACCOUNTABLE

It's hard to like the word 'accountability' and I've had plenty of experience with it, believe me! But here is something you may not know about accountability. It's the engine of a growing business and a good working relationship. In Nutrimetics, everyone has an up line. If you are in the Southern Stars team, that up line is me. It is my job to resource, inspire and empower you to grow your business into the best it can be. That's my job. These are my sole objectives. As my down line and one who wants to grow their Nutrimetics hobby into a thriving business, it is your job to be resourced, inspired and empowered to grow your thriving business. That... Is your objective. Accountability is used to measure how well we are both succeeding in these jobs. Every time you take matters into your own hands, for whatever reason, you are denying me the opportunity to problem solve, to resource, to inspire and to empower you. It's like shooting yourself in the foot because you thought it was a good idea. It's never a good idea! You may not understand or even like the reasons why I do what I do sometimes, but there is always a little more method to my madness that perhaps you don't see or that I am protecting you from. From a pure financial standpoint, there is no one more dedicated to your growing business than me. I am always going to be your biggest fan and advocate. But you have to let me, by being accountable. 

4. REINFORCE YOUR ATTITUDE

Ok, so you are being inspired, cared for, and being held accountable in business. Your attitude is in check and things are looking good! Here is where we can be complacent. Your attude doesn't just reach a destination and then... Well, that's it right? No. It's something you need to work on daily. Why? Because circumstances will always creep in and challenge that attitude. Sometimes that's a good thing... Attitude always needs tweaking. Sometimes, it's a bad thing... And we fall back on bad habits of not letting of go of things or we find ourselves once again feeling negative or perhaps micro managing our business. I absolutely believe that this reinforcing and tweaking of our attitude is the most essential thing you can do to grow your business. It means you are always available to change, that you stay humble and that you are always willing to learn. If you are  willing to tweak that attitude on a daily basis, your business will always grow. Here are some daily tweaks you can watch out for...

... Watch how your communicate with others... Is what you are saying positive or negative? 

... Whatch how you respond to negative circumstances. Sometimes there are glitches that happen and you must know how to deal with them... Dont get upset.. Work quickly to find a solution. Speak with your up line immediately. If customers are involved... Watch how you respond... Reward them for their patience. 

... Be a thermostat, NOT the temperature... You set the temperature in your team. If you want things to be smoking hot (positive, exciting)... Then show that. Words like 'hard day'... 'Sorry, can't make it'... 'You'll need to remind me'... 'Sorry'.... Bring that temperature waaay down. Words like... 'Sooo looking forward to the new lip colour!'... 'Excited about the party!'... 'What an awesome team!'.... Will raise the temperature of your team. Raise the roof! You set the temperature! The hotter things get the more have on board with you... Positivity and excitement is contagious, habit forming and is essential for team bonding and building. 

So... Audit over, how did you do? Are there things you need to tweak to get yourself on the right attitude track? Here is my final word on attitude... You CAN change your attitude. In fact, you can do anything you set out to do. Because YOU are amazing. Let's be amazing together.

Vicks. 

I'm Engaged!

I am a terrible person to go to the movies with and I'm even worse when it comes to the theatre. I criticize everything! Cinematography, storyline, acting, directing, writing, editing... Everything! I can appreciate a film based on individual elements but when I love a movie, chances are, so will you. My critique might seem complex and fussy but I only actually ask for one thing... To be engaged. I want film, television and theatre to engage me. I also believe that this is the one thing, as business owners, we need to critique ourselves on every single day.

How engaged are we in our own business?

You have likely heard the phrase... It's not personal, it's business. It has been a repeated staple and business ideology for years. You may have said it yourself or even been at the receiving end. What you may not know is that it was originally coined by one Otto Berman. Otto was a very bad man. Arrested at fifteen for attempted rape, He soon after became an accountant for American organised crime. He was shot by a hired assassin and died at 44 years of age. Nothing personal though right? It's just business. This phrase is ridiculously untrue and should have died with Otto.

Business IS personal. It requires you to personally engage, every single day, with your customers, suppliers, prospective customers and team. So how are you engaging? Let's take some time to audit your engagement...

1. Engage with your vision... Do you have a clear vision about where your business is headed and how often do you think about it? How often do you spend time working on it? What prevents you from spending time on your vision?

2. Engage with the numbers... Do you have a sales / sponsoring goal each month? How are you measuring your progress from day to day or week to week? When you see numbers are low, what is your plan to increase them? Of those who have joined your team, do you have their numbers and how are you keeping track of their progress?

3. Engage your team... Are there personal or business obstacles in their way and how do you know that? What is their goal or dream and how do you plan to resource, inspire and empower them to achieve it? Are you under-managing them? Are you micro-managing them? What can you do to Improve your team engagement? How often do you ask this question?

4. Engage your customers... Do you have a database that helps you to learn everything you can about each customer? Are those that are on your database, regular buyers, and how often do you re-evaluate and tune up your database? Do you offer your VIP customers special offers, including joining? How do you go about doing that? What is your customers' preferred choice of contact? How many of your customers will often tell you.. No? What can you do to improve this? What do your customers know about you?

And lastly, do you use social media to engage people to increase your business? I'm a firm believer that to engage people on social media sites, you MUST be personal. Have a look at the last 5 status updates on your Facebook profile... And jot them down. Out of those 5, what has your attention the most? What status has been shared, commented on and liked the most? Do you have a seperate Facebook group or page? Have a look at the last 5 posts on that page and carry out the same exercise. 

So... Here is mine...

Personal profile status....

1. 3 days to go. Can't sleep!

Liked 11 times and commented on once.

This is about my up and coming trip to NYC. Something that would not happen without my business... It's the achievement of a dream.

2. A comment about the removal of Sesame Street from NZ television.

1 person liked it. 1 person felt sad. 1 person felt angry.

This shows my interest and passion for something I believe in.

3. A Facebook quiz... What type of woman are you? 

2 people liked it.

I added to the profile because it speaks a little about myself and it's a fun, lighthearted thing. Something needed from time to time.

4. Mansplaining... A comment about how women should not be talked over by a man.

2 people loved it.

5. 4 days, 11 hours... Pens collected from Nutrimetics trips... What else can I add to my collection.

1 person loved it, 15 liked it and 2 comments made

Clearly the favourite. This came with a Photo of the pens.

My business page...

177 people like my page.

Of the last five status updates, I have engaged with people 181 times and my introduction video has been viewed 38 times.

So... How does yours measure up? More importantly, do you spend more time running your busines and working hard on your business than you do auditing your engagement activities and working smarter for your business?

Work smart... Not hard. Work in your business... But don't forget to work on your business too.

Remember Us?

You can tell a lot about a generation by the way they spend money. Generation groups are influenced by different things. If I gave you all a thousand dollars, here is how you might respond...

As a baby boomer, you would likely "save it for a rainy day." That's your thing. You own that phrase.

As a mellenial or gen y, you'll likely spend it. Mellenials are typically bigger consumers than any other generation. But you may spend it wisely or not so wisely. You are not likely to have buyers remorse. Companies just LOVE gen y's!

As a gen xer, you will do a little of both. You are likely to spend, but's likely to be a calculated risk. You like to have all the facts before you make the decision and you don't like it when companies sugar coat or gloss over the truth. You are intelligent spenders and although you find it hard to trust, you do become brand loyal to those you do trust. Companies have to work harder to earn a sale from you.

Did you find yourself aligning with one particular example? I personally am so tired of hearing about how companies have been founded by baby boomers and are spending millions on marketing to gen y's... these companies have made a catastrophic mistake. And most of them don't even know it.

Let's peel it back for a moment to define the generational groups. Baby boomers are the group of children born out of post world war 2. Our heroes came home and made babies! They were born between 1946 and 1964 and are now 52-70 years old. But believe it or not, it is the mellenial a or y generation that have more baby boom going on than the generation that coined that phrase. Ahhh Gen Y... The generation everybody talks about. From around 1982 to 2002,  gen y's are aged somewhere between 12-32 years old. But between the years of 1964 and 1982, there is Gen x. The smallest of the three generations, if you fall into this group, you are aged between 34-52 years old. Where Boomers are retiring and gen y are "coming of age", the gen x group are growing companies, wealth and skeptisism... In that order.

Categorised as directionless, gen x people are incredibly misunderstood and ultimately left out. We are the middle child, sandwiched between a prolific baby boomer group and the hip, tech savvy gen y's. We are small in population because boomers invented something that changed how we treated life...  Welcome to the world of birth control. Boomers, who always believed in the santicty of marriage and who would always opt to stay married, even if it was just for the sake of the children, taught us gen x'ers how to self-actualise. We learned how to live indepently.  The generation that was all about babies, taught those same babies to be fiercely independent adults. Growing up, we were latchkey kids.. Kids without supervision outside of school and before boomer parents got home from work. Gen x also coincided with a sexual revolution. Children and teens of gen x had been witness to sex education in school and the emergence of AIDS. 

Where boomers are said to forge the way for civil rights, gen x were the kids that lived it. Cultural integration, diversity and acceptance has placed gen x as the least racist generation by any standard today. However, we aren't all sweetness and kindness... We are the generation known as the people who do not believe in God. The boomer children had to go to church so weren't as strict about passing along that tradition. Perhaps coincendantlly we are also the generation who has seen the biggest spike in the divorce rate and we invented the term 'de facto' for unmarried, live in relationships. We are the MTV generation, experiencing the emergence of music videos, grunge, alternative rock and hip hop. As young adults, we are the FRIENDS generation... A little self involved and aimless... But fun. In France gen x was known as Generation Bof... Bof means.. 'Whatever.' We have been portrayed as cynical, bleak and disaffected. No wonder companies don't understand how to market to us!

But we are also known as the entrepreneur generation... As much as gen y... If not more... Gen Y are tech savvy as long as tech is savvy to them... Otherwise they lose patience and interest. Not so for Gen x'ers. I remember getting my first computer and sitting there day and night until I worked out how to use it. Baby boomers would be afraid and frustrated by this first kind of technology and gen Y would be looking for an iPad. But gen x know how to get stuff done. We are business owners and we really mean business. You would be forgiven for thinking that companies like Twitter are a gen y focused phenomenon. But you would be wrong. Twitter's founder is a gen xer, along with the founders of Amazon, PayPal, Electronic Arts and yes... Even McDonalds. 

Why am I so passionate about generation x? Because firstly, I am one. Secondly, I believe that companies have got it wrong when marketing their product to the world. They overlook gen x, despite the fact that this is the generation that is working, that takes risks, that has income. They overlook us because they don't understand us. But instead of spending millions of dollars focusing all of their marketing on gen y, they should be spending their budgets on gen x for 3 fundamental reasons. 

1. Any product related to looking after their parents in their old age, is going to be purchased by a gen xer for their baby boomer parents. 

2. Gen x'ers are not afraid to spend money, if they have been given the facts of what they are spending. We are not easily fooled... So don't fool us... And watch your sales climb. Because we are loyal to those who treat us well. 

3. We are the glue between boomers and gen y's. We understand both generations we are sandwiched with. Companies can use gen x to communicate with both boomers and y generations. AND we have the money to buy for both generations. Technology speaking.... We learned to type on a typewriter or word processor (just like boomers) but we learned the technology that gen y focussed products are based upon... Computers... Laptops...smart phones... iPads. WE are the missing communication link.  Stop writing that book about how to communicate with gen y.... There are thousands of books on the market just like it. Instead... Phone your gen x friend... And change your thinking!

Over the next couple of days... Have a look at what companies are focusing on what generations. You might be surprised. I hope you are pleasantly surprised! Because gen x, as small as we are, are the group of people who are taking over companies, businesses and even countries. 

And by the way... Prior to writing this I put it to Facebook, what generational group do people affiliate themselves with. There were some who had no idea. There were some who knew and declared it proudly. But of those who connected with me and answered the question... ALL OF THEM... Were generation x. We are out there... It's time the world listened. 

Work v's Life

Imagine a box. The box might be plain or brightly coloured. The box is everything you do in a day, week, month. Close your eyes. How full is that box? How organised is the box? What do you see in the box that stands out?

I am constantly tidying. It's my thing. I create chaos and then I need to tidy. If I have little time to tidy, I put out the boxes. Everything goes in boxes or piles and they may or may not be orderly... They are just in a vessel or area so that my personal, home and office space is clear. When those things are clear my mind is too. Then, when I find the time, I go into super tidy mode. I forget to eat or vacate my pyjamas. My hair is tied back, the music is on and away I go. For me, it's my most perfect day. Especially when I re-arrange furniture too. 

The truth is, our boxes are often full aren't they? In my own box, in goes Nutrimetics... The phoning, the delivering, the admin, the facials, the trainings and the parties. Graphic design is in there too and so  is a little bit of creative writing. My faith needs nurturing so it joins the box. Cleaning and tidying is there along with trips and phone calls to family members. There is much more in there too, but already my box is full. And most of these things belong in there. But some do not.

Take another look at your box. Imagine yourself picking up an item. It might represent something. If it's Nutrimetics you are picking up, maybe it's the thing you like about it the most. It might be a Nutri-Rich Oil. Or perhaps you have picked a toy that represents your children or the house /car / bed that you share with your partner. Maybe it's something entirely different. Whatever it is, pick it up and have a really good look at it. Does it inspire you? Does it make you smile? Does it make you want to do something with it straight away? If I picked up my DNA, it would certainly have that effect on me. Or perhaps a tidy day, and I pick up my hair tie and pj's... I'd want today to be that day. I feel inspired. I feel motivated and energised by what I hold in my hands. If you have the same reaction as I do about tidy days, take the item out of the box. Give it it's own place. Put it in another box if you like, and name is "things that inspire and energise and motivate me."

I encourage you now, to write the big list of things that truly belong in the first box and those things that you need closer at hand. And the reason for needing these things closer to hand is because you know that when you are using those items from day to day, you feel happier within yourself. These things are attitude changes. And we need to use them every day.

Michelle Obama once said "Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if they're scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do list,'"

Wise words.

So how do we get a good balance and all the while, growing our Nutrimetics hobby into a thriving and growing business? The last business owned put me in the hospital for a week, due to an viral illness I picked up as a result of stress and basically running myself to the ground. I was working 75+ hours a week. So I have since learned a few hard lessons! And here they are...

1. Always have an efficient diary. Look sometimes I will spend the better half of a day just organising it. I love the Nutrimetics diary. You get spaces for details day to day appoint,nets, errands and notes as well as the monthly schedule. Keep your monthly schedule simple. Even seeing writing everywhere is enough to stress you and the customers looking to book with you, super stressed. Your diary should be worked on daily and it should set the rules of work and play. Your diary is the boss of your day, so don't veer off it. 

2. Sleep 8 hours every day. If you don't manage to sleep 8 hours in a night (which is the case with me) then power napping will be your friend around 3. No kidding, remove the technology, sit in the sun or lie on your bed.. But get get that sleep in. Put it into your diary! 

3. Start your day super-charged. You will slow down in the second half, whether you are a morning person or not, but your Brain is a little more efficient in the morning, especially after a high protein breakfast and / or SUPER GREENS. You may not like the taste of Super Greens, but take in a shot glass like a boss and then you're good to go for the day. Don't take Super Greens later than 11am. 

4. Give your self a break. Some days, despite your best efforts, will suck. Everyday, take the time to go over the good things in your day. Two things you need to know... Just because you've had a bad day, it doesn't mean you have failed and it doesn't mean that every day will be a bad day. Tomorrows are always filled with hope of better things. I'm a really big believer in hope. Hope trains our minds to not reside in negative attitudes. We have to always be asking... What can we hope for tomorrow?

5. Listen to your body. If you get run down, stop and reassess your diary. Look also at your energise box... Have you got a good healthy balance of those things we feel motivated and energised and inspired by and the other things inside our box? Some can cope with 1 motivating thing a day and I think it's the least you can do for yourself. If 1 is not enough, change your diary to fit that extra thing that makes you feel inspired. 

So, here is the schedule I try and stick with...

Monday 

Monday sets my whole week so it's definitely starting with SUPER GREENS. Monday is filled with training and admin associated with that. It's the day where I will reassess where everyone is at and when I prepare for the training ahead. It's can also be a tidy day for me and I love sitting down to an empty table and get stuck into graphics and admin for Nutrimetics.

Tuesday

This is the day where I have most of my daily facial appointments in my spa room. It's also the day where training prep continues or I follow up on anything needed from the previous night's training. 

Wednesday

I need my SUPER GREENS today. It's the middle of the week so it's when hostess packs might go out, deliveries are made and if I get that done early enough, I might just go shopping! I almost always have a sleep in or power nap on Wednesday. 

Thursday

I'm preparing for the weekend. Master classes tend to occur on these nights so for me, Thursday is the perfect tidy day if it didn't happen on Monday. 

Friday

So 1 or 2 things might happen on Friday. If I'm having a party, I focus on preparing for that as well as any kits required for the team over the weekend. If I held parties during the week, then I will head out of town for the weekend to spend time with family. 

Saturday

Saturday, if I am home I will likely have 1-2 parties. If not, I will get out in the garden in summer and have bonus day in the winter. Bonus day is MY day to see family, go shopping, clean house, visit consultants, go to the movies etc. 

Sunday 

Sunday is my only day where I don't do anything Nutrimetics. It's a day to build a new shelf, bake, spend time with family etc. I don't party on Sunday's and I very rarely train. The only exception is end of month or the 15th, if they fall on Sundays. 

In this week, I can have 2-3 parties, facial appointments and a couple of training sessions. It's filled with the things I need to do and the things that energise and motivate me to do those things I need to do. Schedule isn't perfect and it needs reworking every week. But it gives m a balance every week knowing that I have given myself my 'me' time and given my business all the time it needs to grow.

How is your schedule? Why not jot a similar description to your days and share with me what works and what doesn't? Then... Go shopping!!

Slump in Your Hump?

In a slump?

Lately, I've felt the same way. Why is it that sometimes, life goes at such a hectic pace and you feel like you are a black belt karate master, chopping through so many obstacles and daily life to-dos? And then sometimes, you're making it through the day, walking through sludge, attempting to achieve the same results? 

But today, I had an a-ha moment. Thanks for that phrase Oprah. Here is what we think a slump looks like... It's when my customers don't buy anything. It's when team members don't listen or even appreciate me. It's when my business figures don't look great. It's when there is no injection of new life into the business. It's when it is cold outside and you can't remember what it felt like to have the warm sun on your face. Its needing 7 appointments to the dentist. It's disappointment after disappointment. Isn't that what the sludgy, murky, slump looks like? Even just thinking and writing about, I'm feeling depressed and frustrated!

It's a funny word.. Slump. I looked it up and realised it has nothing to do with all those depressing things at all. The word slump means to sit, lean or fall heavily and Limply. To sustain a long and severe fall. To undergo a prolonged fall in value. It's not about circumstance.. It's all about how we respond to that circumstance.

“When you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

I think we mistake slump for hump, even though they go in opposite directions. A hump is a difficult part or stage. We all get those! Why does our businesses not grow faster? We are offering so many incredible things! We are willing our businesses to succeed.. We are working hard... Doing everything we can.. Aren't we?

Your business (and your life) will have humps. There is nothing we can do about that. How do we overcome the humps in business and life? We need to exert ourselves, and overcome them. But this just does not happen when there is a slump in your hump. Ooh... How very Dr Seuss of me!

These steps make allowances for humps, but never slumps.. At least not for too long. Your slumps are what slows your business down. If you want to get a great income to achieve an even more amazing dream... Lose the slump. If you want a new car, or an all expenses trip, or both... Lose the slumps. And slumps, by the way, come in all descriptions. Slumps can come across as sound reasoning... I'm just going to take it slow because it's good for ME.... I need to re-evaluate my life and then I'll be up and running again... I don't want to go out ahead to fast because I don't think that's healthy.... Rubbish! As long as you are willing to let go of some of the controls at times, and as long as you continue to work smarter not harder, the speed in which you succeed is irrelevant. You can do this!  Because you are amazing, and your business is the best, regardless of the crappy things that sometimes happens. 

Team... You've got this. Keep it simple. Don't sweat the small stuff (even when it feels like gigantic stuff) and lean on your network of people who are in this with you.

Slumps don't belong in humps.

The Most Satisfying Moment in Vickie's Life

Without a doubt, the most satisfying moment in my life would be walking across a Broadway stage and taking a bow. It seems so little and so simple, but there it is. But I think it's important you know my why.

This is a deeply personal goal of mine and has been for 23 years. I was never interested in theatre until I went to high school and if fact as a child, all I remembered I wanted to be was a doctor. I wish I could have gone back to that 7 year old kid and say "honey, you need to be good at chemistry... And you won't be." Just so I would give up that idea for a more brilliant one. Mind you, I never thought I would run my own business with a team of over 160 people, who's mission it is to see every woman feel good about their skin, inside and out. You can't change the roads you travel in the past can you? But as I get older, I have mellowed about some of those desired roads and become passionate with a refined focus on others. Almost sounds like I'm growing up but hold judgement until the end because I assure you, I'm not and I'm super happy about it.

I have an intimate relationship with the theatre because for me, the theatre gives an adult, who has grown up into an analytical mind with bills to pay, a job to go to and a family to raise, a chance to re-visit their imagination and their creativity... I call this childhood. Though the word 'theatre' was never used growing up, my childhood years were spent in a fantastical make believe place. I was so happy there. I was never NOT happy there. In that place, I WAS a doctor. Or Librarian. Or business owner. I've always had this inkling that even though it is rare for a child to grow up and BE the person they saw in their imagination, it does nonetheless, shape their future. Even when the conscious mind is still not fully formed, the subconscious mind and their make believe world rules the roost! How many adults visit THAT happy place outside of dreaming while they sleep? Kids have totally got the best deal there. They will soon learn right from wrong and make decisions out of those lessons... But as adults.. We still make wrong decisions and sadly, we also don't frequent our happy place very often. It's a bad deal and I for one don't choose it.

For you see, the reason why my imagination ran wild into believing I could be a doctor was simply because I spent a lot of time growing up, in and out of hospitals. And the truth of my make believe (and there always is one) is that I knew more about what was going on in my body than the doctors that treated me.. I just didn't have the voice to express it. So, if I was to be a doctor, I would have a voice. The truth was that I longed to have a voice in this world. That's all I wanted.. To be listened to. To be respected. I wanted someone to say "I hear you Vickie, and I'm going with your suggestion." It's a truth and a desire I still look for today. I want to make sure I have contributed to this world before I leave it.

It wasn't adulthood that helped me refine my focus on which roads to choose in life, it was high school drama. Clinging to my childhood ideals, I entered high school almost like a punch h in the face. Welcome to the cold hard reality of schedules and homework and exams. But in the clearing, just past the blur of early morning rises and races to the school bus, was drama class. Just when my daydreaming was over, drama class allowed me to explore again into the world of creativity and imagination. It was more refined now, with specific outcomes, but it was still my happy place. Truthfully, my refined happy place has taught me how to refine so many goals much later in life. Who knew that silly little drama class, the one people take because it's an easy pass and they don't give exams, who knew that drama would shape so much of my adult life?! I did... I had that moment, when I was 16 years old.

It was the first major show I had tickets for. I went with my Mum and neither of us knew what to expect. Evita is a musical about Eva Peron. We had no idea who she was and almost 2 minutes after the curtain was opened, the storyline was lost on us. That was, until the 2nd half when we rushed through the synopsis in the programme. In that first half, all I could do was watch and listen and experience this magical thing before me. I was taken away by it. Before I closed my eyes that night, I decided that I wanted to be on that stage. Even more, I wanted to be on Broadway. The stage is another world... I didn't need to perform on it... I just wanted to walk across it, walk into it, be enveloped by it.. If just for a few moments. 

The following year I got my first part and was given a small role in a major production, performing at the regent theatre. The regent theatre in Dunedin is without a doubt, my favourite theatre. And throughout the rest of my life so far, Broadway has been there... In the background... Waiting for me. 

When I joined Nutrimetics almost 13 years ago, I decided I needed to get to Broadway before my 40th birthday. This once in a lifetime trip was going to be supported by my Nutrimetics business. Of course, then life gets in the way and I went down a couple of roads I wished I hadn't travelled. All the while, Nutrimetics was there, in the background, keeping company with my Broadway stage.  For 11 years it remained there, until in 2014, I made my move. I was ready to pursue my Nutrimetics career and business and I was long overdue for a trip to New York. If this happens only once in my life, I reasoned, it MUST happen now.

I am now 39 years old so earlier this year I booked my flights to NYC. This is the BIG one. Or so I thought... Until Nutrimetics recently announced that their big trip next year, is NEW YORK!!! I'm still in tears over the thought that my once in a life time trip could happen twice and within 10 months of each other... I'm practically a local!  I have a big challenge to achieve this trip and I won't be doing it alone... But I can feel it! And, because I'm still, thankfully, a child at heart, I can make believe it happens! I'm there, for the second time in my life. The stage door opens for me, the curtains are open. I walk across and take my bow. And if you reader, are with me... You will also witness... the moment I feel I have been heard. The moment I acknowledge myself . The moment I experience the joy of just... being.. me.

I can't wait.

Mother's Day

It's one of those rare moments of the year (apart from birthday and Christmas) that you get to tell Mum how grateful you are to have her as a mum. You get to say 'I love you mum,' even though she knows it's perfectly okay to tell her that every OTHER day too. You shower her with gifts you took ages to get because she likely has everything she needs, except for maybe some time with her children and grandchildren. Instead, she gets a scarf or a book. She is so thankful for them as she adds them to her scarf and book collections.

It is especially lovely when the generations come together to celebrate the day. Mums of the family, United through motherhood! The grandparents feeling especially overjoyed because they got to experience the heart exploding joy of motherhood again when grandchildren entered their world. The next generation mothers are feeling wonderful too because they celebrate their mum and at the exact same time, celebrate themselves for being the best mums they could be. There's a beautiful symmetry to it all isn't there? After all, there is nothing in the world quite like motherhood. It changes your life, figure and the very core of who you are.

Or so I have been told. Many times. Oh what a blissful thing to hear! If you did not catch my thinly veiled sarcasm, then allow me this one moment to speak on my frustration, delight and grief that occurs, well, everyday, but most especially on Mothers Day.

Would the women without children in this world, please stand up. Yes, you, down the back of a church, smiling as mothers are given their reward for being mothers. You, who makes this day all about their mum, so to perhaps distract yourself enough to not notice the day that did not really include you. It's okay, I know you'll cry about it later. And yes, even you, the one who slept in til 1 just because you felt like it.

I know who you are. I AM you. 

I was scrolling through Google today to find some nice encouraging quotes to send your way, but Google, Oh how you've let me down! Let's see... There is the quote about losing a child, about losing a mother or the quote about loving the freedom of being childless... Hooray!!! Then there is my favourite.. The quotes about how I will have my time soon.. Just hang in there! Some day.. You WILL be a mother! There are quotes about how mother-less people are still mothers deep down because they care for the whole world or even quotes stating the being aunties, are kinda LIKE being a mother, but you get to give them back when they cry and stamp their feet! Phew, right?!

The truth is, the world just can't get a handle on what to call us. Are we mothers-to-be or wanna-be-mums with the horror of infertility? Are we mums who have lost our baby, but mums even still? Are we the feminist-I-choose-not-to-have-children types or the type who is still waiting for THE ONE man to live their life and have babies with?  We have no title and we have no baby. As a child-less/free person I am going to attempt to share with you what goes through my thought process over this subject. Perhaps I will debunk a few myths and surprise you mothers in the process. 

First of all, there are women who choose NOT to have children. I was not one of them, but they are out there. The so-called void, dedicated to only being filled by being a mother is absolute rubbish. Ahh mums, before you think 'she would say that because she has no idea what it's like'... Just remember... You were young once. Remember that childhood when you went on school camp and had homework and a loving family that went on holidays together.. and you're camping, looking up at the stars at night, feeling both full from the BBQ you had earlier and completely empty from the endless void you feel because you have never been a mother? Remember? No you don't you silly sausage, because the void did not exist. For those who have never experienced childbirth and/or who have not raised a human..  The void STILL does not exist. It seems that void only enters the scene when you become a mother. I'm not saying there isn't desire and longing.. But desire and longing is experienced by everyone for many things. The 'void' I am sure, is a creation made up from companies like Johnson and Johnson and Huggies. 

Can I just add a very a vital side note at this article. When I say 'child-less/free people' I do not include those who have lost a child either during their pregnancy, childbirth or at any point after. You have a category all of your own. You have lost so much and the grief must be immense. But, and I say this with deep respect and love, you are STILL a mother. I can't even begin to imagine how that might feel, to be a mother without a child, and I won't attempt to. But as sad as it is, you still held a human inside of you. Even if you never held your baby in your arms, you carried it, for however short that may have been. I think it's the greatest hug one could give another. You did that. That's why you are a mother even after the hug is over. 

I have gone through such a mixture of emotions about this subject in my life. Perhaps I am the only example of my kind. For I am the one who waited for THE ONE who never came.. Which is fine, because I am also the one who has about a 1% chance of ever getting pregnant, carrying or delivering a healthy baby. I am also the one who always believed she would be an amazing mum. I really do think that. I am the one who has felt actual pain and heart-exploding joy all at the same time as she watches her sisters have children. I am also the one who feels like she has a share of ownership in her nieces and nephews so much so that sometimes, I just want to say... "Look, I think I can do this part better, so let me just handle it ok?" I sometimes also feel that the decisions my sisters make about their children, have not included me and it feels wrong. I feel like every time they do that, I am divorced from my sisters and I am reminded yet again, that I am not the mother. It kills me. 

But I am also the one who has found a peaceful place, being without children. I wouldn't say I am at peace, but I know the place where peace resides and I visit frequently. I might retire there... A happy, stylish childless, stress-less old spinster who does whatever she wants and probably talks to herself. I am the one who appreciates the freedom now. It has been a long hard road finding that place, but now that I have found it, I try to go there as often as I can. I don't want my sisters life. I like sleeping in. In fact, it's lunchtime now and I'm still in bed, typing this. I like that I can do that. I should be allowed to feel good about doing that too. Why is it that those who do not have children are expected to be up just before sunrise, because those with kids are up too. My sisters and I have a great arrangement now, but it wasn't always that way. When my eldest was born, she would wake up so early. When I was staying, her dad would get her up and bring her into my room, then go back to bed! I'm not complaining because she was adorably cuddly and I was still in my "I want one" phase. But my dear one grew up and in her auntie's footsteps, she LOVES to sleep in. My other three are still fairly early to rise and it was a struggle whenever I stayed. But bless her, my little sis cottoned onto that a while ago and she makes a point of getting up when the children rise, and she promptly closes my door so the children don't wake their auntie. God bless my sisters! Because when I am awake, I'm the auntie who plays with her children, making up games with them and doing crazy things with our imaginations all while taking photos of every moment from every angle. I am THAT person.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we who are without the joy of knowing what it's like to be pregnant or what it's like to raise human beings. We.. are a complicated group. But on Mother's Day, we would like to be acknowledged. We would like to be thanked, if even just once, for our contribution. We don't want to take away from the mums with children and especially from the mums without children. We just want our place. Because with or without children, we are all women. Yes, all of us. Those who get pregnant with a glance, those who try for years to find themselves successful at long last or never. Those who enjoy the freedom of not having children and those who never had a chance. We are all still women, and we ALL deserve, at the very least, 1 day, dedicated to us.

So if you are pregnant or breastfeeding... Grab the grape juice! If you are trying, race for the folate! If you are still in bed, grab the champagne because drinking champagne in bed is totally awesome... And ladies, raise your glass, pat yourself on the back, and cheers... To you! And cheers to me!

Happy Mother's Day.

Vickie xx