I knew when I left Phoenix yesterday morning and drove to Tucson for Mary’s workshop, it was going to be a great day—the sun was bright and warm, and I looked forward to a quiet and thoughtful desert drive! Most of you know that I’m a warm weather girl, but I’m also a desert girl. There’s a distinct beauty found only in the desert, and Arizona boasts cactus like nowhere else. And with all the rain this spring, the cactus flowers were in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous!
When I arrived, Mary and her husband and 16-year-old daughter greeted me so warmly, and I couldn’t help but feel welcome and comfortable in their beautiful southwestern home filled with sunlight and warmth.
Six of Mary’s downline (one man—woo hoo!) were also at her house—they’d been in town since Thursday! Some flew in (one from Wisconsin!) and others drove several hours. We had a delightful lunch, chatting and snacking on yummies.
About an hour or so later, the Southwest Stampers arrived. These ladies are a group of local demonstrators (not all in the same group) who meet once a month for fun and stamping. Mary met them when she moved to Tucson last July, and they welcomed her with open arms. The chatting and snacking continued, with me sharing my Stampin’ Story and talking a little bit about recruiting and workshops and other business-related topics.
Then the demonstrators left, and it was time for the workshop to begin—and the fun continued. Mary had 9 guests, none of whom she’d met before! It was a smaller group, so we all gathered around her dining room table, and it was cozy and intimate. We stamped, talked, laughed, and had fun.
They all seemed to like the projects; the Make & Take used a set from May’s promotion, and the demonstration project featured a stamp from the Summer mini. One guest mentioned that she didn’t usually like to stamp in front of others because it made her nervous, but because the projects seemed so easy, she was willing to try—and her project turned out beautifully! One thing I’ve learned is to keep the projects, even the demonstration one, pretty simple. Because there’s so much going on at a workshop, even experienced stampers seem to appreciate simple stamping.
And guest what? Mary got five or six bookings (I’m not sure how many—I just know that my four booking incentives were gone and I had to pull out a couple extra), plus a couple guests talked openly about their interest in signing up as demonstrators! Mary’s never done a workshop (she’s been an online demonstrator), and she was very excited about the possibility of getting some workshops on her calendar. And to identify some potential recruits was just icing on the cake. What a great day