I Did It!

I did it!

Yesterday, I surpassed my 2019 target revenue goal the new management set for me by $7K. 

I had this whole year to reach their target and I did before the end of February, now I am onto my personal goal for 2020 and will do my best to hit that in 2019 for game sake.  

When the new management company took over and I was kept on, they provided my salary + commission rate, I teasingly told him, "You are going to wish you didn't pay me as much." He laughed and said, "I hope so!" 

We both laughed. It wasn't that it was "so much" it was about my unlimited potential.

He had no idea that I am very competitive and I wouldn't have said that if there wasn't an element of truth. 

Exceeding my goals gives me bargaining leverage as well. 

Hard Work Pays Off

It's not quite the end of February and I am $19,000 shy of reaching my 2019 target revenue goal chosen by the new management company. Woo hoo! 

That is one wedding or two events. Quite honestly, I know I have these in my pipeline and working 10+ hours a day I still haven't had a chance to reach out to many of my annual group events that will be with us again this year. 

Having an avenue to channel passion and energy with a great return fuels my inner challenge. I am loving having a comfortable salary that meets my needs + commission that is over and beyond where I set the bar. 

Watching my analytics dashboard closely every day, when the numbers weren't reflecting correctly, I contacted corporate who looked into it and informed me these numbers are captured in 2020, which makes sense. I am beyond thrilled! 

With all these new systems and in busyness, it didn't cross my mind this data wasn't captured in my 2019 dashboard. I'm still learning. What I learned is I am almost 25% to my target for next year in just weddings. *happy dance*

I've always enjoyed working. 

I've also worked hard and strategically to be debt-fee and comfortable. Because I don't use credit cards, I don't owe anything at the end of each month. When I was at Victorias Secret a couple weeks ago at checkout the girl tried talking me into their credit card. I said, "No thanks, I don't use credit cards." She quickly prattled on she does to get the discounts and pays it off every month. Let's think logically here. You have a credit card where VS is going to give you discounts so you want to buy more which means you spend more than you intended and owe at the end of the month. Bet the money her card doesn't get paid off at the end of every month. 

I remember that thought process fondly, I used to be that girl. 

I always have personal goals I keep close to me and I know what I want to do. My commission is my play and stash money and because I far exceeded my 2018 goals, I am highly energized for this year. 

Thriving best with challenge, getting commission makes it all the more fun!

Open House Success

I couldn't have been happier with our Open House. We were ready with all the final touches in place and the photographer came for photos before guests arrived. 

Welcoming guests, everyone seemed impressed with the subtle improvements, cleanliness, inviting music and presentation of desserts to compliment our new really good coffee. 

Several of my brides came with their family to see the updates as well as a better vision of the Grand Ballroom staged as a wedding. There are always hugs of excitement and happy conversations.

I had a couple prospective brides who came with their families for a final look and booked their dates with me yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised to see new brides I had an opportunity to meet and tour that are interested as well.

A staged ballroom is really the best way to present to those considering their wedding with us. A portion of our ballroom was staged as a dinner setting to provide a vision to those looking at less formal for other types of events.

Good music, good conversations, good flow of guests, I was pleased to see the City come in and to hear their pleased approvals of what we accomplished. 

I have found favor with the Mayor and felt grateful when he asked me how it was going with the new management company and thanked me for staying on through the transition. The City was one of my biggest advocates as the new management company came on and I love my relationship with them.

The Mayor later asked me about one of my biggest wishes for our venue, offered a wonderful suggestion, and I do believe he will make it happen far sooner than I imagined. My eyes filled with happy tears. 

Give me the tools I need and I will reach the goals you want. I know their goal, but I have my own goals too, which surpass theirs, simply because I love a good challenge. 

Quite honestly, the transition has been far more significant than I ever imagined.

The Open House was a success. I know it pressed our team to do far more in a short period of time than they had in them, but it needed to happen and I'm glad we did it. 

The City is happy. The management company is happy. I'm happy. 

A Driving Force

Want to light a fire under a team and get things in ship shape? Plan an Open House. 

Today is the big day! Under new ownership and new management, I made the executive decision to plan an Open House and invite the public with full support of the Mayor and the City. 

Talk about light a fire under the team, no room was untouched.

We turned on music and tore down border (dated wallpaper) and had a team of professional painters come in to begin stage 1 of painting projects. We hired a housekeeper who is a deep cleaning rock star. What a difference she has made in a week.

The ladies locker room has been renovated into a Bridal Suite for my brides, which has been my personal mission and such a fun project! Now, done in gray tones with black, white and silver accents, a stunning decorative mirror, and all-inclusive with a 6' x 4’ leaner mirror my brides can see themselves in their dresses fully in. Beautiful canvas art photos I ordered were shipped in throughout the week for romantic ambiance.

The bridal suite reminds me of Mariah's nursery when I was pregnant with her. Her room was finished months before her arrival and I would sit in her room and rock fully pregnant dreaming of her arrival. I walk into the Bridal Suite multiple times a day.

It isn't fully finished as I want a new floor in there and need the changing rooms behind the new curtains painted as well as curtains hung over the wall of lockers. But, it is done enough for the Open House. A couple of my brides have seen the new room, I loved their excitement.

I became a driving force this week.

Not everyone has strong work ethics and I am feeling like the lion in the jungle. There was too much to do, but what a great way to make a major dent in projects. Running out of hours yesterday with multiple projects needing wrapped up, I felt like one of those home improvement shows where there is only hours left and everyone is racing to finish projects.

A few slackers, always looking at their phones, taking lunch breaks and having conversations, I made a list of projects that need finished. Letting the General Manager (whom I adore and share an office with) know "Let everyone know, nobody is leaving today until all these projects are done." I am serious.

At one point the General Manager asked what do I need him to do next, I said, "Clean your desk!" We laughed. He is a great guy, but isn't organized. My half of the office is clean and tidy, his half? You can imagine.

I had a specialty linen company come in yesterday afternoon and stage the Ballroom as a wedding and a florist complemented tables in fresh flowers. One of my favorite DJ's arrives this morning to set uplighting and play music for great atmosphere. Many of my brides and prospective brides are coming in today to see the renovations and ideas with the Ballroom staged.

Last night after the tables were staged the management team stuck around to finish the final project, setting the tables. They've never done it and it was a good opportunity for them to see how much work goes into setting formal table settings. Always doing a setting as the template others can follow with specific instructions, I did inform them that I go behind each chair to make sure every setting is perfect.

Events are very detailed oriented.

I have pulled 10-14 hour days and haven't slept through the night for weeks. Waking up all hours of the night with details racing through my mind. It started at 1:00 a.m. today and at 3:00 a.m. I just got up.

Tonight, I will celebrate with good wine and honestly, I cannot wait to sleep.

There are still so many projects the City, the new management company, and I have on our radar with timelines to do, but all in all, I believe our guests today will walk in and see and feel a difference.

We did it!

Bigger Than Me

Tonight was my first Board meeting as well as meeting the others Board members in the beginning stages of this new nonprofit. None of us untouched by suicide and me grateful its over eight years later for me. I met fabulous professionals that bring a strength to their role. A director at a local large hospital lost her son less than a year ago, the founder of the non profit lost her husband over a year ago and has two small children. Others have their own story. 

I knew I was meant to be there as I sat in awe feeling the significance of what I am a apart of. This is so much bigger than me and look how God brought this team together. I knew I was meant to be there.

Believe me, I almost said no a couple times to being part of this. It's a painful subject that I am grateful it is far behind me and that is where I wanted it to stay.

But, God ... 

I see how my role beyond fundraising and community outreach within this group will be breathing life and encouragement into my new Board members and friends who are still so new to life after loss. When their strength fails them and they are navigating their way through the murky waters with their children, I will be on the sidelines reminding them time and love and God heals. 

Pieces of a puzzle coming together and I am beginning to see the big picture. 

I love everything about this new nonprofit and somehow God wants me a part of it. I believe in the direction, the purpose and the mission: Provide suicide loss survivors with the opportunities to heal from grief and trauma of losing a loved one to suicide. 

There is help for those who are struggling with suicide; however, there is little help for those who are struggling as a loss survivor of suicide. 

Just another unexpected life twist.  

What's Inside a Person

If you want to know what's really inside a person, 

listen carefully to the words they speak. 

I was reading a new book when I came across this simple sentence and it jumped off the page. Capturing my attention I picked up my phone and went through my last conversations in my text messages. What was the content of the last thing I said to my family and friends. 

Conversations all over the place. To my dad it was "I do", we keep it simple and good. My mom, it was about her birthday. With Brooke, it was about our date day. With Mariah, we were talking potty training and I was sending her my baby name suggestions. With my new colleagues, we've developed a fun new friendship and funny support system in group texts bonding us as a team. With friends, it was making plans. 

It was only with one I was funny and loving and again, they spoke death (not actual death, but always heavy on the negative).

    Look deeper.

          There is always trend.

What is the theme and content of what different people speak? Life or death? Positive or negative?The sun is shining or the sky is falling? Because people have a theme.

I openly confess, I separate and limit myself from those who tend to always bite at another person and those who chose to live stuck. I am not a rescuer. 

Looking deeper into conversation tones, these themes are always there.

It's just a matter of moments or days before the heavy negative and words of death come to light ... and there it is. 

If you want to know what's really inside a person, listen carefully to the words they speak. 

Lying, dishonest, and shady always resurrect in a lying, dishonest and shady person. What you can count on is not being surprised. This never changes, it's who they are. 

The sky is always falling always resurrect in a draining person. This never changes. 

There are those who add value to your life. Those who speak life. 

Who do you talk to where you feel light-hearted, loved, happy and refreshed? Who do you talk to where you know it will quickly turn negative? 

Words are powerful. 

Be careful what you say, words either speak life or destroy a relationship. Sometimes its slowly and unintentionally and the relation s   h    i     p          i  s             g        o      n        e  

Decompress

I am forcing myself to decompress this weekend. 

Since the transition of new ownership and new management January 1st, I have been working continuously. Pretty much 10-14 hour days (no breaks and working through lunch, sometimes I can be a bit of a workaholic) and I am lucky to have one day off. 

New owners, new management, new team, all new equipment, new systems to learn (about 10 with different functionalities and trainings + trainings + trainings ...), while doing events and renovations which started this week, and the phones ringing off the hook with leads supernaturally pouring in, as a girl who thrives in multi-tasking very well, I have it in me to keep the momentum going. 

But, I'm not. 

I choose to decompress this weekend and have purposely and intentionally kept this weekend open, free of work for two whole days.

I am no good to anyone depleted. The thing is, I'm not depleted. I feel like I am racing on caffeine and can continue working at a feverish pace. Did I mention we have an open house next weekend?

My goal for myself is to step away from working for two days. When my mind races with work thoughts and ideas, I force myself to shut them down and embrace two days off.

Believe me, Monday I will be like a dog at the races chomping at the bit for the gates to open and take off running!

Work hard. Play hard. Reward yourself.

That already started.

Who knew Tiffany Blue and pink go together so well!

Getting my nails done, a few fun purchases for me and and evening of snuggles and kisses with my very pregnant Mariah & Sofia, I woke up today to ... slow down ... relax ... what do I want to do ... what sounds good ... what sounds fun and I'm doing it. 

When my mind thinks work, I shift it into relax mode. It's time to decompress. 

Well, decompress with three events I chose on my personal schedule for today. ha ha

Professional Headshot

We were required by the City to have professional head shots taken for our positions and they had a photographer come in to do these. I guess it is a good idea to do this every few years, it does seem like its always needed for something. 

It is definitely time to update my profile pic on this blog. 

This is me at 48 years old. 

Chaos Coordinator

I never knew I would enjoy being a wedding coordinator, being the person in charge of making a girls dream day become all she wants it to be. Where I fine tune the details and blow fairy dust to give them more than they hoped for.

Each wedding and each bride is very different. There is a passive bride who doesn't care about the details and allows everyone else to choose. Then there is the micro manager bride that knows exactly what she wants, has every detail listed and lets every person in their bridal party know what the expectation is. 

Both are easy.

The bride who doesn't care about the details is easy to please. The micro manager bride handles all the details. Share them with me and I ensure it happens.

Bridezillas? They are annoying by nature and I often feel sorry for the grooms parents as they see what their son is about to marry. The grooms? Hey, they are adults and I'm pretty confident they see the brides behavior prior to wedding day. 

The upside of dealing with a bridezilla is I already know what the plan is for the day and our venue is spacious enough where I role out their day with little contact with them. Their entourage/bff's can coddle and jump on command. Not me. 

Then there are the parents of the bride and groom. They come from nervous for their baby's getting married in general to nervous of the cost of the wedding/reception. They come in at odd's with the other set of parents and sometime the mom's come in to lay down scenario and control the show. 

I allow them all to be themselves and have the wedding they want. 

One of my more memorable weddings was when the gift table had to be at the front of the room, farthest from the doors, because the room was full of thieves. The father of the bride had to take the cards out of the card box and lock them in a hiding place all evening. 

Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming. Whether it is simply elegant or elegantly simple, tell me what you want. I ask a couple easy to answer questions and voila! it's done.

Many brides openly say they book at our venue because of me. They love my relaxed approach to their day and openness to give them the wedding and reception they've dreamed of. 

Truly, I want them to have the wedding day they've imagined since they were a little girl. It's an awesome responsibility. I can add special touches they haven't even thought of and I can see their excitement bubble over. 

For me, I get to see the behind the scenes nervous excitement, the vows from beautifully traditional to striving for extremely unconventional and yes, sometimes I cringe. The food, the atmosphere, the delicious cakes & pastries and evenings of dance music fill their air. 

Brides-to-be, a cookie bar with 6,000 is ridiculous. Having 500 dozen cookies in my walk-in cooler that I have to set and stage for you to end up loading up and carrying home is far too much. Whoever has the most cookies is not guaranteed happily ever after. 

I never knew I was going to enjoy this unexpected career in my life so much. 

Shout to the Lord

My jesus, my saviour Lord, there is none like you All of my days i want to praise The wonders of your might love. My comfort, my shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that i am Never cease to worship you ...

I grew up loving southern gospel music. There are moments when you hear a familiar song, it strikes a cord in my heart and I feel enflamed with I love this.

Take those moments and magnify it into a holy spirit filled, world get behind me moment, is when I have my Sofia in my arms dancing with her. She loves music and minutes after I arrive she is in my purse pulling out my iPhone. She knows the routine.

Pandora has an excellent Kids Praise Christian music station we stream through a Bluetooth speaker and often we dance.

Shout to the Lord came on yesterday, while her momma was getting ready for us to leave for a day out, we danced.

Let me tell you ... hold love in your arms and suddenly praise music comes to life in a way I've never experienced it. My sweet granddaughter and I twirled and danced and when she put her head on my shoulder a million thanks to God went up. I love these moments! Thank you, God!

Shout to the lord
All the earth, let us sing Power and majesty Praise to the king. Mountains bow down And the seas will roar At the sound of your name. I sing for joy At the work of your hands Forever i'll love you Forever i'll stand. Nothing compares To the promise i have in you.

My Littlest Valentine

In Grandmomma glory, I arrived with gifts for my littlest Valentine.

A box of Minnie Mouse chocolates and her 1st baby doll. 

Sofia loves babies and now she has one to play with on her own before her little brother/sister arrives. 

Let's hope she gets over the latest "Uh oh!" game. Where she throws everything down and looks up with those almond-shaped brown eyes and sweet chubby face and says, "Uh oh!" 

Happy Valentines Day

My Littlest Valentine 

               xo

New Board Member Appointed

Of all the things I've lived through and am grateful as every year passes, for some reason, I absolutely believe God has another plan. 

A professional contact connected with a woman who was interested in planning a couple of events. A spur of the moment meeting turned into our paths crossing and we became two women sharing our unique experiences. She said I was exactly what she needed, with my own experience to add to my role, would I be interested in being on her Board of Directors?

The call came today, I was voted on last night by the Board and am now the new Board member that serves overseeing a nonprofit program to help survivors of suicide.

Honestly, I really had to do some soul searching wanting that in the rear view mirror of my life, but ...

But, is the segue to there is something else. I wish I would have known about this program many years ago when the aftermath was a nightmare. 

The woman I met who began this non profit, her husband committed suicide and she has two very little girls. My personal experience is slightly different and my role for my daughter became one where I had to learn to become a powerful advocate in her life and I think of those who don't have an advocate. 

While I want this far, far behind me, I do believe God has another plan. With supernatural paths crossing, if God is saying, "Will you?" I am saying yes.  

Her Hobbies Include ...

It's been an intense week. You know, the kind where I ran out of coffee in my home for 3 days because my schedule was so busy, there was no time to even stop at the store. It was a week of 13-14 hours days, corporate in town all week for training, two big events,with one being really important with the Mayor.

Multi-tasking and being the queen bee responsible for all things large-scale event related, I made it! With bows and congratulations, word in City Administration I pulled off a very successful event (with a partial new team, and chef to add extra nerves!). 

In the midst of intensity, I smiled, snuggled, hugged and kissed a whole bunch, too!

Friday night date night with my sweet granddaughter. Her hobbies include: typing on the laptop, unrolling toilet paper, climbing in and out of the bathtubs, pulling food out the of the food pantry, emptying out my bathroom closet, and I bet you didn't know how fun it is to take all the Alka Seltzer packets out of the box and put them everywhere. 

Who am I to stop such happiness?

Dinner was fried chicken, mac & cheese, and grapes, and chocolate Lactose milk, her favorites. For dessert I melted chocolate wafers and gave her Oreo cookies to dip, drag, and play in the melted chocolate. 

I felt my grand baby kick for the 1st time (photo 22 weeks). Tears of happiness and relief, feeling my grand baby makes me yearn to hold it in my arms.  

One of my Christmas gifts to Sofia was a princess tent. Mariah posted she was laughing and happy screaming inside if it she loves it so much. And I love her happiness.

Spoiledness happens at Grandmomma's house.