One week down~I did it, I did SOMETHING everyday this week to promote my business! I pushed past some issues I have been trying to deal with and found a few solutions to some others. I ordered a new book to maybe help me deal with the rest. I ended up with 1 confirmed order~YAY!!! The use of a commercial kitchen if I need it~YAY The web address for an entrepenurial investors website~YAY!! And at my sons assembly the other day I gave all the MEN teachers a business card and told them not to forget their wives for Valentines Day! Last night I had some friends in for dinner, very supportive and caring friends~and I know that they will tell anyone who will listen that they enjoyed the meal~THANK YOU!!
I feel productive and somewhat sucessful. I find that I like blogging more than I thought I would, at first I thought it was going to be like homework, but I find it kind of like meditation time~it is quiet, I can sit and think and ponder and...DREAM! Maybe like a book, if I write long enough, I will be able to steer the outcome in my direction. Some books, I am told, take on a life of their own and in that way too this blog has brought me to places I hadn't expected. I am eager to see where this part of my lifes journey will take me.
On tap for this week I have to get more business cards out there, I like my idea of focusing on the men, the bonus for them is they don't have to shop~that is my angle~I will save them the hassle of doing something most men don't like to do. And it will be gorgeous!!! And delivered to her door if they like~
It is also time to test the truffles...AHHHH~is there anything better than a truffle? Chocolately, smooth, warm, creamy goodness~rolled, dipped,or smothered, it really doesn't matter! It is such a decadent experience...I prefer to eat my truffles by candlelight near a toasty fireplace with some Amaretto~UM, I have never actually eaten them that way since there are usually greedy children and a drooling husband standing around the kitchen waiting less than patiently for a sample and if I don't eat mine with them then they will eat mine long before a fire would ever get a chance to roar! They are so funny, my family~the best support team I could have!
And to save the best for last~ I get to work this week. A real live breathing paying client~now if I could just get another one...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
DAY 7
OK FINALLY the kids and hubby have gone outside to play in the snow, I have approximately 12 minutes before they all come traipsing into the house for hot chocolate...alright now it is 10 minutes after i wrote that sentence because no sooner did i say that then the hubby came back in to have his coat zipped, his gloves stuck half way up his sleeves! Then my 9 year old came back in because he fell and split his boxers, which meant a whole wardrobe change~*^%$#@!!! The whole time i am helping them the baby is yelling for them to come OUTSIDE!!
OK I feel better now!
So as I look back on my first week as a blogger I notice quite a few amazing changes already. I know that I have an amazing group of friends and that some of the things they have shared with me this week have taught me that we are all looking for peace. We are at a time in our lives where, for the most part we have worked hard, raised a family, dealt with family and rich or poor we are all at that age where mortality looms...
I have discovered I am not the only person with a dream. Why did I think that everyone else lead their dream life?
I also have learned that I LOVE FACEBOOK! There I said it...I have been on FB for about a year I think, and I have gotten reaquainted with some amazing people that do great things everyday and they don't even know it! Single mothers working hard, cancer survivors running races, mothers of sick children fighting all the time to find a cure,strong independant women running their own business'. I have put closure to an old flame that holds a special place in my heart, I have gotten to know and love my nieces and nephews across the country. I send my hubby silly things that make me feel like a teenager when I used to send him love notes with hearts and flowers on them. And I have learned that some people NEVER change...I think about 25(!!) years and wham you find someone on FB ~HOW EXCITING~can't wait to talk to them and in like a 15 minute phone call you have caught up and have nothing left to say, how can that be? How can some of us have done nothing?
And how can some of us keep this from being all we do...
OK I feel better now!
So as I look back on my first week as a blogger I notice quite a few amazing changes already. I know that I have an amazing group of friends and that some of the things they have shared with me this week have taught me that we are all looking for peace. We are at a time in our lives where, for the most part we have worked hard, raised a family, dealt with family and rich or poor we are all at that age where mortality looms...
I have discovered I am not the only person with a dream. Why did I think that everyone else lead their dream life?
I also have learned that I LOVE FACEBOOK! There I said it...I have been on FB for about a year I think, and I have gotten reaquainted with some amazing people that do great things everyday and they don't even know it! Single mothers working hard, cancer survivors running races, mothers of sick children fighting all the time to find a cure,strong independant women running their own business'. I have put closure to an old flame that holds a special place in my heart, I have gotten to know and love my nieces and nephews across the country. I send my hubby silly things that make me feel like a teenager when I used to send him love notes with hearts and flowers on them. And I have learned that some people NEVER change...I think about 25(!!) years and wham you find someone on FB ~HOW EXCITING~can't wait to talk to them and in like a 15 minute phone call you have caught up and have nothing left to say, how can that be? How can some of us have done nothing?
And how can some of us keep this from being all we do...
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 6
Yesterday turned out to be a terrific day after all. By the end of it I had one confirmed order and an inquiry about a gift basket! YAHOO! I had to go to my doctors office to pick something up and I decided that I was going to give all the girls my business card, I have mentioned that is not my strong point, self promotion is not my thing. BUT~as my business partner has told me I am to do the opposite~like George on Sienfeld~so when the baby was asleep I found a red pencil and proceeded to scrawl across my cards an invitation to *order soon* Truffles for your Valentine~with the price clearly written on it. The less I have to verbally tell people a price the better off I will be! And low and behold one of the nurses was VERY interested, she needed a gift for a friend and she said she would give me a call!!! I left the office in very high spirits! The day was as cheeful as my mood and we had plans to meet friends at the park~the boys had a wonderful time running around with the other spring feverish little people! And I had a nice chat with a fellow foodie. A good time was had by all. Then home to make a nice dinner and welcome home my hubby who had been away on business for 4 days. I can have it all I thought~I can do this...no problem. And then this morning while in the shower I realized that not only did I not give the kids baths last night, but my 9 year old slept in the same clothes he wore to the park! HA! Well the roof did not cave in and the bath police did not show up on my doorstep so I will use it as a lesson, I can let some things go and it will be alright. Now I am off to watch that same 9 year old make the A honor roll for the 3 consecutive semester! Then I am going to donate blood~and pick up my Grandson...I have more to say, but no time to say it today~that too is a lesson~no matter how much time we have, it will never be enough.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 5
Got a good start this morning~beds made, laundry folded, baby fed..yadda, yadda, yadda. The weather is going to be gorgeous warm and sunny and yet here I sit in front of this box AGAIN! Contemplating how to jump start myself into action. Friends think I should leave business cards at local businesses, my husband wants to buy an ice cream style truck so we can become a hot dog stand type of business. And although I have made a promise to not let it all be about money I really do need to know how to start a business on a shoe string budget. It has been said that Paula Deen started out of her home with 200.00 dollars....so I emailed her once to ask her how. When I first moved to my present home, which I have now lived in for 7 years, I started catering right away...and the board of health came down on me, right away! I was finished before I started~So back to Paula~She actually had an assistant email me and then CALL me, very exciting!!! But all she had to say was that since the time Paula got started laws have changed and at one point Paula too had to move to a commercial kitchen. So no real help there. I have also seen some very ambitious people go door to door with cake slices in the afternoons...so when my 2nd oldest was a senior I would bake cookies during the day and then he would go door to door to sell them to various businesses after school~to say that that grew old for him very quickly is an understatment! HA! but he gave it a shot for his old Mom. So now as we approach Valentines Day thoughts of Truffles dance in my head...do I bite the bullet once again? Spend money I don't really have and the time it takes to make them~which is really the fun part for me~and somehow figure out a way to get those delicious, melt in your mouth, exquistetly warm decadent, breathtaking (no exaggeration!) chocolates into the hands of some very deserving chocoholics!? It is my fear that I will appear pushy, I will also be traipsing about with a 2 year old in tow. My wardrobe leaves something to be desired, I wear clothes I have had for uh lets just say too many years! I have visions of Stacy and Clinton accosting me on the street!!! Somehow I have to figure this all out~excuses, excuses, excuses...they will be the death of my dream~How does a 43 year old woman change her mindset after all this time? How do you rid yourself of negativity? I look at people on all the talent shows that are on now and I envy every single one of them, especially the bad ones~they believe in themselves so much to put it all out there. I am in need of thicker skin. Todays blog feels blah and the sun is shining and the baby is begging for my attention~I am going to shower and pull my self together and go out and do SOMETHING positive for my dreams today...i'm just not quite sure what that will be.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 4
So lets just say I am stockpiling excuses already! For the past 3 days I have been on here non-stop. Researching catering websites, writing up 2 proposals, and yes I admit a fair amount of time has been wasted on Facebook! During that time no chores were done by me...which translates into...no chores were done. My hubby travels during the week so I can get away with letting things go a little...a quick run around the house a few hours before he gets home usually does the trick, BUT!!! When I got up this morning I realized something, if I don't do the chores THEY DON'T GET DONE!!! That is going to be a problem and it is also EXCUSE #1. #2 on my list brings me to my youngest son, aged 2~In the last 3 days he has watched countless cartoons, eaten an insane amount of fruit snacks, cookies, goldfish...etc. Washed his trucks with 5.00 a bottle Plum Start, that I buy to keep his little colon clean and today I actually put him in for a nap still in his jammies, with a dirty face! To give my self a little credit, I did notice his face while I was reading him a story~but I thought if I interrupted the momement nap time would be no more...So I am calling neglected children EXCUSE #2.
EXCUSE # 3 has to do with the fact that I have mailbox issues, the one in this box AND the one at the end of my driveway ~when you and your spouse are both self-employed you spend an extraordinary amount of time waiting for checks and job leads. The anticipation of getting the mail is usually better than the act of getting the mail itself, for me it is kind of like waiting for Santa and then getting socks for Christmas! But everyday I wake up with the excitment of what might come in the mail that day...I have been known on occasion to put the flag up on my box so I could look out the window and see if it came yet~I told you all I have issues. So for the past few days I have had the pleasure of preparing catering proposals, building my blog, and emailing with my business partner back and forth. My support group~i.e. FB people~have also been posting fun things to encourage me in my endeavours. So this morning I looked forward to checking my mail, until I actually checked it~REJECTED...there it was my poor little proposal back in my mailbox with a note saying...sorry...etc.
DEFLATED!!! That is how I felt, this is the point where I hang my head and go clean the toilet, which is exactly what I did! I have pondered for hours (while doing laundry and dishes, and playing with matchbox cars) how do I stay motivated this time? What is going to make this time different than all the others?
So I did what I do best I cooked, more specifcally I baked~Blueberry Muffins. Not just any Blueberry Muffins~Gale Gand's Blue Blueberry Muffins. The muffin comes out a gorgeous purply-blue with a fresh juicy bursting blueberry in EVERY bite, topped with raw sugar to give it a sparkly, crusty, crunchy peak! All of a sudden my house was back to being warm and cozy, the baby happily licked the bowl and the smell of muffins and coffee made me close my eyes and think~This is what MY DELI would smell like every morning!!! I can't give up, I have to find a way...so it is with a heavy but still hopeful heart that I write todays blog~afterall there is still hope that there will be a check in the other mailbox!
EXCUSE # 3 has to do with the fact that I have mailbox issues, the one in this box AND the one at the end of my driveway ~when you and your spouse are both self-employed you spend an extraordinary amount of time waiting for checks and job leads. The anticipation of getting the mail is usually better than the act of getting the mail itself, for me it is kind of like waiting for Santa and then getting socks for Christmas! But everyday I wake up with the excitment of what might come in the mail that day...I have been known on occasion to put the flag up on my box so I could look out the window and see if it came yet~I told you all I have issues. So for the past few days I have had the pleasure of preparing catering proposals, building my blog, and emailing with my business partner back and forth. My support group~i.e. FB people~have also been posting fun things to encourage me in my endeavours. So this morning I looked forward to checking my mail, until I actually checked it~REJECTED...there it was my poor little proposal back in my mailbox with a note saying...sorry...etc.
DEFLATED!!! That is how I felt, this is the point where I hang my head and go clean the toilet, which is exactly what I did! I have pondered for hours (while doing laundry and dishes, and playing with matchbox cars) how do I stay motivated this time? What is going to make this time different than all the others?
So I did what I do best I cooked, more specifcally I baked~Blueberry Muffins. Not just any Blueberry Muffins~Gale Gand's Blue Blueberry Muffins. The muffin comes out a gorgeous purply-blue with a fresh juicy bursting blueberry in EVERY bite, topped with raw sugar to give it a sparkly, crusty, crunchy peak! All of a sudden my house was back to being warm and cozy, the baby happily licked the bowl and the smell of muffins and coffee made me close my eyes and think~This is what MY DELI would smell like every morning!!! I can't give up, I have to find a way...so it is with a heavy but still hopeful heart that I write todays blog~afterall there is still hope that there will be a check in the other mailbox!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day 3 Granting a Wish...
You are about to become part of an amazing event! The granting of a wish...to myself. There was a commercial a few seasons ago~By the department store Sears~Give a gift, grant a wish. It has stayed with me. What is the only thing from stopping you from granting a wish for someone? I bet you will say it is money! I too have always held the belief that the only difference between me and "them" is money...how often do we say "If I only had the money?" Well, I have changed my perspective! I now know the only thing standing in my way of my dreams is ...ME. And 2 days ago I decided to get out of my way. This blog is going to be an open diary of my journey to grant a wish that is over 20 years old. I call it "The Birth of a Deli" Before you chuckle, let me say that like a woman who can't get pregnant~that is what a deli is to me. This is the conception and if I am lucky enough to carry it through to fruition, it will indeed be like a birth for me, and I will love like one of my own children.
Ahhhh Children!!! At the mention of children I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am 43 years old, married to my best friend~who BTW~would love nothing better than to see my dream come true so he could quit his job and ride on my coat tails for awhile! We have 4 sons~yes I said 4~the youngest of which was quite a surprise for everyone, especially me. At the time my youngest was 7 and I was happily managing a small hotel 2 minutes from my house and his school. Life was good we had a little money, had a little fun...maybe too much! Upon coming home from a holiday party in 2006 we failed to use good discretion and BAM!! Our easy days were over for awhile...too bad we didn't know those were the easy days. I was miserable I thought I was doomed to be changing diapers forever~and then in the middle of my mid-life crisis my lovely son, the oldest then 19, calls to say he too is expecting a baby. My brain went into overload I was stuck, forever, raising babies...my dreams were over, my family was going to need me too much for me to ever be able to devote the time it would take to build my career.
Fast forward and I mean FAST!!! These beautiful boys~yes both babies were boys~have become the light of our lives! They are gorgeous and strong and full of mischief...and they are both going to turn 3!!! this fall~you know what that means? PRESCHOOL!!!
It dawned on me sometime around New Years that if I got off my extended materninty leave butt and became "pregnant" with my Deli that maybe, just maybe in 9 months when these babies are ready for school I will be ready to open my business.
So having just watched the movie Julie and Julia I was inspired to blog...I think it is less likely I will give up if I put it in print. I am also hoping for a big support group, so please read, enjoy, suggest, critique and tell your friends~
And just to clarify one last thing~todays title Day 3 refers to the fact that 2 days ago I inquired about renting commerical space to cook in if I got any catering jobs. I got a very positive response from the woman I spoke to and it pumped me up enough to move forward on some things I have been holding back on. I aslo approached another woman who had, in the past, asked me about doing some catering for her. I am very bad about that, I tend to wait for people to call me back~I have decided to be totally pro-active in that respect and forge ahead even if it makes me feel slightly pushy or uncomfortable. She too was eager to talk about her plans. Yesterday Day 2 I sent out a sample menu with prices to the potential client~another insanely hard thing for me to do~OY! PRICES!! I love what I do so much that it actually pains me to tell people how much I need to do it. Now don't get me wrong, the work is very hard and I love being paid!!! But to tell the people, at the begining of a new event, how much it is going to cost is a hurdle I have to go over every time~I am trying hard to convince myself I am worth it.
It is a very hard thing to do...this is not going to be an easy journey
But I am going to take it one day at a time, and every time I get a positive response or a lead on a job or am lucky enough to secure a job~it will be like a baby kicking and growing stronger every day...I too hope to become stronger in the process.
Ahhhh Children!!! At the mention of children I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am 43 years old, married to my best friend~who BTW~would love nothing better than to see my dream come true so he could quit his job and ride on my coat tails for awhile! We have 4 sons~yes I said 4~the youngest of which was quite a surprise for everyone, especially me. At the time my youngest was 7 and I was happily managing a small hotel 2 minutes from my house and his school. Life was good we had a little money, had a little fun...maybe too much! Upon coming home from a holiday party in 2006 we failed to use good discretion and BAM!! Our easy days were over for awhile...too bad we didn't know those were the easy days. I was miserable I thought I was doomed to be changing diapers forever~and then in the middle of my mid-life crisis my lovely son, the oldest then 19, calls to say he too is expecting a baby. My brain went into overload I was stuck, forever, raising babies...my dreams were over, my family was going to need me too much for me to ever be able to devote the time it would take to build my career.
Fast forward and I mean FAST!!! These beautiful boys~yes both babies were boys~have become the light of our lives! They are gorgeous and strong and full of mischief...and they are both going to turn 3!!! this fall~you know what that means? PRESCHOOL!!!
It dawned on me sometime around New Years that if I got off my extended materninty leave butt and became "pregnant" with my Deli that maybe, just maybe in 9 months when these babies are ready for school I will be ready to open my business.
So having just watched the movie Julie and Julia I was inspired to blog...I think it is less likely I will give up if I put it in print. I am also hoping for a big support group, so please read, enjoy, suggest, critique and tell your friends~
And just to clarify one last thing~todays title Day 3 refers to the fact that 2 days ago I inquired about renting commerical space to cook in if I got any catering jobs. I got a very positive response from the woman I spoke to and it pumped me up enough to move forward on some things I have been holding back on. I aslo approached another woman who had, in the past, asked me about doing some catering for her. I am very bad about that, I tend to wait for people to call me back~I have decided to be totally pro-active in that respect and forge ahead even if it makes me feel slightly pushy or uncomfortable. She too was eager to talk about her plans. Yesterday Day 2 I sent out a sample menu with prices to the potential client~another insanely hard thing for me to do~OY! PRICES!! I love what I do so much that it actually pains me to tell people how much I need to do it. Now don't get me wrong, the work is very hard and I love being paid!!! But to tell the people, at the begining of a new event, how much it is going to cost is a hurdle I have to go over every time~I am trying hard to convince myself I am worth it.
It is a very hard thing to do...this is not going to be an easy journey
But I am going to take it one day at a time, and every time I get a positive response or a lead on a job or am lucky enough to secure a job~it will be like a baby kicking and growing stronger every day...I too hope to become stronger in the process.
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