Saturday, March 26, 2011

And the winner is...


Thank you all so much for helping me celebrate my 250,000 blog hit milestone. It is because of all of you that I created my blog and continue to post. (Sometimes I wonder if anyone is even looking at my blog and then when I check the number of hits, I realize that there are people who take the time to come by and visit. Thank you!) As promised, I have answered the many questions that were posted as entries into my blog candy contest. I LOVED reading the comments from other CTMH Consultants and why they enjoy being Consultants. I also loved reading all of the questions from those of you who are not currently Consultants. The answers to all of your questions are below in addition to the top 10 reasons why I love being a Close to my Heart Consultant.

If you have ever thought about signing up, even just for the great discount, I promise you will be glad that you did. I'd love to have you on my team, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And, if you are ready to order your New Consultant Kit, you can do that here.

OK, now for the big moment that you have all been waiting for.....
The winner of my blog candy is...

levelsoflight who, on March 23, 2011 at 5:13 PM, said...“Your creations are always so beautiful! I considered becoming a CTMH consultant, but I don't have time to dedicate to hosting parties and going to gatherings. Once I become a full-time teacher (yay!), my focus needs to be on my students and their curriculum. However, I've heard the term "hobbyist" before, but I have no idea what that means. Is that a different type of CTMH consultant? Also, thanks for offering the blog candy! It's such a generous gift!” (I answered her question below in case you are interested in the hobbyist opportunity.)

Levelsofflight was poster #31 and 31 was the number chosen by random.org. (I assigned all of the facebook posters a number as well, so the total number of posts/comments was 54. Congratulations levelsoflight. Please contact me at lisa@myctmh.com by April 1st with your mailing address so I can send you the box of goodies. If she does not contact me by April 1st, I will pick a new winner.

Before I share my answers to your questions, I would like to share the top 10 reasons why I LOVE being a CTMH Consultant:

  1. Top-notch, trend-setting products that can be ordered as needed. We don't have to carry any inventory!
  2. Training - Fantastic FREE online training classes and corporate sponsored events throughout the year.
  3. Generous compensation program and product discounts and ways to earn FREE product.
  4. Wonderful friends and “co-workers.” (Actually we're more like a family.)
  5. Incentive trips and other rewards.
  6. The option to have a MyCTMH website where we can get internet sales including Studio J, our online digital scrapbooking program. (Your friends and customers can create layout on their computer and can shop at home 24 hours a day, even in their jammies. LOL!)
  7. Operation Smile (the charity that CTMH supports) is such a worthy cause.
  8. Jeanette Lynton (Founder & CEO) and the Corporate Staff are wonderful. They actually listen to the Consultants and implement many of the ideas that we suggest.
  9. CTMH appreciates both their business builders & hobbyists and do their best to support all of us.
  10. The flexibility of "working" only when I want to. (And actually I don't consider it "work" when I am having fun.)

Below are the answers to your questions. There were some very good ones too!

The Owens said...
Do you find that you are doing more classes as opposed to home "parties"?
Right now I do find that I am doing more classes than parties. It seems to go in waves, but lately, I am doing more classes.

Marcia, Pam Z., Phyllis Houser, and Rebecca's Card Hobby asked
Where do you find your ideas and inspiration? How long does it take to you make a card?
I find many of my ideas from other talented bloggers. There is so much talent out there that it is hard to walk away from my computer at times. I also get a lot of ideas and inspiration from the CTMH Idea Books and the How-To Books. As far as how long it takes for me to make a card, well, it can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 days. LOL! Sometimes that mojo is just gone and I can't get creative for the life of me.

Rebecca said...Lisa, I am a fellow consultant in TN. I have been with the company for over four years! Up until now, I have just been a 'hobbyist'. However, I have my first Gathering this weekend. Any advice?? :)
My biggest advice, is to just have fun. When you enjoy something, it is easy to share it with others.

Sheila H said...I love CTMH products, but I've never really considered being a consultant because, frankly, I don't know enough people.
Hi Sheila. You don't really need to know many people to get started. You just start by having a party with your friends and family and ask if any of them will have a party for you too. Then they invite their friends and family. As soon as you get out of your circle of friends, it actually gets easier. And the best part is that you will make TONS of new friends in the process.

Lorna said... In addition to being a CTMH, do you work outside the home?
I used to be a Graphic Designer, but now that I have two adorable kiddos, I am blessed to be able to stay home with them. The great thing about being a CTMH Consultant is that I get to "work" when I want to and am able to be home for the kids when they need me.

Corinne said... Do you know many consultants who utilize their status purely for their own benefit, and do they stick with it for the long run?
Corinne, I have a ton of gals under me who signed up just to get the discount for themselves and maybe for their friends. (Actually that is why I originally signed up 6 years ago.) We like to call them "hobbyists" or "Customer Consultants." In fact, if someone really likes the products and orders quite a bit, I always suggest that they sign up to get the discount for themselves. Many of my "hobbyists" have been Consultants for years.

Dawn said...My question for you is... what's your tip for building your client base as a new consultant?
I just talk about CTMH with everyone. You'd be surprised at how many people perk up when they find out you teach stamping and scrapbooking. I also love using my blog and facebook to share my business.

peggylee said... My question is how to build a team when you are all alone (my upline is soooo far away)?
Just like my answer above about building a client base, I share my passion for CTMH with everyone. Some people will want to host parties, some will want to attend a club or workshop, and some will want to take advantage of everything that is offered by signing up as a Consultant.

Darla said...CTMH seems like a great company, what do you like best about working for them?
Since we are Independent Consultants, I don't actually work for CTMH. This means that I have my own business and can run it any way I like, which is one of the things I lie best. I can choose to "work" although it really isn't work, as much or as little as I like. I can choose to do parties, classes, clubs, be a vendor at various events, whatever I want to do. In addition to working with the best products on the market, I think the flexibility of running my own business is what I like best. Check out my top 10 list above.

Josee said...My question for you is, what's the biggest reward outside of financial reasons for being a CTMH consultant?
I think the biggest reward is the friendship I have created. I would never have met most of the gals I have become such great friends with without CTMH. I also like sharing my passion for paper crafting with others.

Cheryl Winget said...Are some consultants completely web-based or is there no way to handle the job without gathering people together?
Great question. I think there are many web based Consultants now. Gathering people together is a great way to meet new people and grow your business, but with all of the new social media outlets these days, you could certainly run a successful CTMH business online. Studio J, our online "digital" scrapbooking option is a wonderful way to build an online business in addition to our great MyCTMH websites. And by having a blog, facebook page, and using Twitter, you could build up an online business in no time!

Kim Bernosky said...I am contemplating becoming a consultant. What is the greatest benefit you get from being a consultant?
Oh Kim, there are just so many benefits. LOL! I love being able to order new product before anyone else. I love being able to meet new people and build friendships with those who share by passion for paper crafting. I LOVE the top notch products. I love the online training academy and training events available to Consultants. I could go on and on...

Michelle said...My question would be, what has been your favorite project/page/card that you have made?
Wow! That is a tough one. Hmm...I think probably the layouts that have photos of my family are my favorites. Here are a couple of my favs: http://lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com/2009/09/celebrate-everyday.html and http://lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com/2008/08/christmas-layout.html . Also, this is a layout I did 5 years ago when I turned 35: http://lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/35-things-about-me.html I like it because I don't do a lot of layouts about myself and it is fun to do this once in a while. I think now that I am 40, it is time to do another one. LOL!

levelsoflight said... I've heard the term "hobbyist" before, but I have no idea what that means. Is that a different type of CTMH consultant?
Everyone who signs up has the same access to discounts and training materials. The term "hobbyist" simply refers to someone who doesn't want to build a business with CTMH. They usually sign up just to get a great discount for themselves and/or their friends. I love that CTMH supports that type of Consultant just as much as a regular business builder.

Happy Little Crafter said...What is the percentage off a consultant receives when ordering CTMH items for themselves?
Another great question. At the moment, all active Consultants receive anywhere from 22-34% discount on their orders, whether it is for themselves or for a customer. The amount is determined by the total orders placed during that particular month. I am not sure if I am allowed to share this, but my inside sources tell me that the compensation plan will be changing later this year and from what I have seen, it will be getting even better! (wink, wink)

linda m said...How much time do you need each week to devote to your "work" :)?
Well, if you can even call it "work," I spend a different amount of time each week. It all depends on what my family commitments are that week. Some weeks, I spend 10-20 hours if I am prepping for a class or a meeting, while other weeks I only spend 5-10 hours. The beauty of this business is that we can determine how much time we want to spend and when. *Ü*

Thanks for all of the great questions. Please contact me if you have any others that aren't listed above. I would love to chat with you more about joining my team! *Ü*

2 comments:

  1. Congrats to the winner! This was a great Q&A post too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for answering all of our questions! I enjoyed reading your responses.

    Also, I have sent you an e-mail! :)

    ReplyDelete