A Class Act
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 10:36PM You would never guess it by the name, but can I just tell you that Pitman is a quaint little town? Both Sue and I commented as we drove into town yesterday about how beautiful it is! And Melissa’s home simply added to the charm of the whole experience. As most of you know, I’m an antique lover, and her home is older, with wonderful doors, creaking floors, stained-glass windows—it was delightful to just walk around and feel the history of the whole area.
I told Melissa and her guests yesterday that whenever I do a workshop, an interesting thing happens. As I approach my destination, my heart beats a little faster and I get butterflies in my tummy. There are a few moments of apprehension and nervousness as I wonder how the workshop will go—and then within seconds of entering the house, it all disappears as I meet the hostess (and in my case demonstrator), share a warm hug, and start chattering about all the things we have in common! It happens over and over again; I suspect most of our demonstrators feel the same way.
Melissa’s workshop was a great experience! She teaches first grade, and many of her guests were fellow colleagues, or friends of colleagues. I thought the conversation might center on that, but except for a brief update (Melissa had taken the day off to prepare and one of her guests was the substitute teacher for her class, so she had to check on how the day had gone), the conversation mostly centered on the other thing they all had in common—stamping.
Although there were a few newbies, many were seasoned stampers. They seemed to love the projects, and I certainly enjoyed sharing them. It was fun to hear that many of them have Idea Book & Catalogs tucked inside their desks at school, and they’ll sometimes run between classes on breaks, sharing their ideas and brainstorming with each other.
Melissa’s demonstrator event (a group meeting) was actually first, and that gathering was equally enjoyable. It was open-house style (although most people stayed the whole time), with no set agenda. We stamped a couple of Make & Takes (one was a card that the group is donating to the Ronald McDonald House Charities), chatted, snacked (of course!) took a few pictures, and just had a great afternoon.
One of Melissa’s recruits is a fellow schoolteacher, and one thing that impressed me is that they had talked up front about the fact that they might be “in competition” with each other. However, they realized that they had different personalities, different skill sets—as well as a different group of friends outside of work—and they wouldn’t let that bother them. They could have felt threatened by each other, but recognized that there are plenty of customers to share. I like that approach!
I got to steal a few minutes on the front porch with Melissa and her husband, which was one of the highlights for me. I’ve mentioned it before, but getting to know the demonstrators—and their families—has really been one of my favorite parts of this whole experience, so it was delightful to be outside in the perfect weather and connect in a personal way.
And in between the group meeting and workshop, we took a short walk around town and then enjoyed authentic Philly cheese steak sandwiches; the husband of one of Melissa’s recruits actually drove into Philadelphia to get them, and it was the best Philly cheese steak sandwich I’ve ever had!
Reader Comments (17)
Thank you again for everything on Thursday. And thanks for this great blog post!
Ever since I woke up for school on Friday morning, I have felt like the whole day was just a dream. Reading your post made it all real again. I second what Kristin said - it's amazing to me, with all the many things you have on your plate, and all the WOALs you've done all over the continent, how you managed to make me feel so special all day.
I am still collecting orders, but so far the workshop sales look great! Everyone (customers, newbies, and demonstrators) is raving about how wonderful the day was and how great it was to meet you and spend time with you. Even Naomi connected with you right away - I've never seen her warm up to someone so fast and start blowing repeated kisses like that!
I hope your events on Friday went well, that all your traveling went smoothly, and that by now you are home safe and sound, resting and relaxing (which is what I plan to do for most of the weekend, per your "orders").
:)
Melissa
Thank you for making the day so memorable. I showed my daughter (who is 6) all of the pictures and she said "One day I am going to meet her too!" I told her "I hope so too!!!"
Thank you again for everything, and I am striving to see you again soon!
I have had a great time reading about your adventures with theses workshops. While I have never met Melissa, I live less than 10 minutes from her and we share some cross over customers. I have heard them speak kindly of her and express excitement over your anticipated visit. It sounds like it was wonderful.
New Jersey seems to get a bad rap, but really there are many small little towns just like Pitman and Merchantville all across the southern part of the state and we would absolutely love for you to come back and take it all in. You are always welcome.
Thank you for doing these workshops and thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us.
As a newbie just starting out, it made me feel good that you took time to listen to us and answer our questions. You and Sue are so humble, gracious, and real. I believe that because of those qualities, demonstrators feel so good about being a part of this company/family. I don't consider it "working" at at all! You are truly an amazing woman and I feel so fortunate to have met you. See you at convention!
Kristin V.2
You are such a beautiful angel of God. The work you are doing is touching many lives. Thank you for who you are!
Gay Ferland
http://www.saleburberryscarf.com Burberry sale
http://www.vans2012.co.uk Vans uk
http://www.coachs2011.net Coach outlet online store
http://www.jacketnorthfaces.net North face outlet
http://www.outletcoachcoupon.com Coach outlet online
http://www.saleburberryscarf.com Burberry scarf
http://www.vans2012.co.uk Vans shoes
http://www.coachs2011.net Coach outlet online