Is It Time to Quit After 12 Years of Direct Sales?

[cincychef]

This past year - I had two separate instances with hosts that were beyond horrible. Way beyond horrible. Nasty women who lied and caused me so much stress that it affected the way I've dealt with all of my hosts. I've become cynical and suspicious of hosts, and although I know in my heart that most of them are great people, and many of them have also become my friends...there is this part of me that wants to keep up this huge wall to protect myself from the abuse again.

I have had the same recently... just awful people, liars, cheats, abusers...really makes you rethink.. I decided that I am going to start treating those the same. I have cancelled shows myself on people who are terrible. FEELS AWESOME... and I have told the past hostesses exactly why I cancelled the show. Funny thing is they all agreed with me and are still customers! Even booked additional show themselves

I had 2 people like that last year and it is amazing the effect they can have on your entire business. Both had me in tears because they personally attacked me. Jenni, I LOVE your response and need to really take that to heart the next time I am in a situation like that. I am way better at beating myself up than standing up for myself. Where do these people come from and how do they sleep at night?

 

[PCJenni]

Chantelle, "they" have no problems sleeping at night because they conduct themselves like that throughout their lives... toxic people, there have been books written about them. Once you recognize "them", YOU have the power... they prey on weakness, they manipulate because it WORKS FOR THEM... if you do not allow it, "they" stop the BS immediately, because it no longer works!

 

[cincychef]

((((HUGS)))) Nancy!
I have been reading and thinking about all these posts. Much of what you said has crossed my mind too! One of my personal peeves was the way they changed the jewelry for the excellence awards and it took alot not to let that carry over into other parts of my business, I am still working on that I have found that what makes me great at this business is I put everything into it and when something is not going well it is hard to put your all back into it. So life can effect my PC business and visa versa. In September I had the lowest month I have had in well over a year and every day I came home and did nothing but lay on the couch and let my kids make messes. It wasn't just because of PC it was because of EVERYTHING I had going on in my life. I was very unhappy and thought about just walking away from my business.
I decided that I had too much invested in my business to walk away, I believe that this is an opportunity to be anything I want to be whether that means as a consultant or as a National Exec. So I decided to give it my all and see where that could take me and it was really exciting what I accomplished in the last 3 months. I am like several of you. I LOVE the cooking show. I am happiest at a show teaching people how to make dinner time easy. That is where my focus is on my show schedule and my hosts because that is what controls my income and the income is what keeps me with PC.
I focus on my PASSION (and when I say this I think of Sharon Zellen crying at conference) I know everyone is passionate about a different part of their business, but for me it is the fact that I am home with my kids, I take them to and from school every day. I don't miss their birthdays or the holidays because I have to work. I am always a stability for them when their dad has to travel and be gone all the time. That is huge for my little ones, I can only imagine how much harder this year would be on them if I was gone even more than I am. Also I have well over doubled my income and have goals at tripling it. I did not have to go back to school, I did not have to fight thru job interviews and get turned down repeatedly, I did not have to do anything but work my business. This has allowed me to pay all our bills while my husband is out of work. I NEVER would have imagined I could do that let alone not be gone upwards of 60+ hours a week. There is no comparison to what I would have to give up with my family to accomplish the same thing with another job and that is why I LOVE what I do.
Don't get me wrong, there are days that I don't host coach enough, or I forget to follow up with someone or I feel like I am gone from my family too much or I have one too many people trying to get me to help them with something, but when I look at the bigger picture it is still worth it.
I am looking forward to Spring Launch because there is always someone there that has MANY more excuses and drawbacks and much bigger problems to overcome than me that is doing MORE than me and I take inspiration from that and try to remind myself "NO MORE EXCUSES" ( I am not saying that anyone here is making excuses, this is just something that helps me)

 

[Puccalsellate]

WOW!!!!!! These posts are like an answer to prayer. I almost cried through the first 5 actually...I cannot even tell you how almost all of these I could have written myself! I'm so thankful that I just jumped on here and saw this. I am a part of a group that is full of awesome Directors doing AWESOME things, and it is so hard to be a part of that group and feel like I don't have the right to be there...I have been a consultant since 2004, but really kicked up my business over the last year-18 months. I was on a high in July when I earned the Taste of Travel trip and totally rocking out the biz. I had recruited like crazy last year, and promoted to Director. I can recruit really well, because of HO leads and showing people how awesome this biz is at my shows....but.....wait for it....
I am NOT having fun at my shows!!! I almost dread them. I have found lately, (and so glad this is not a open to the world post) that I have some serious anxiety/nervousness issues. I get so nervous lately because of the added pressure I've put on myself. I'm insecure, and doubt myself constantly because I've put SO much stinkin' pressure on myself to do great. Well, I started this whole panic/stress thing in September last year and after earning the TOT trip, I am so embarrassed to say, but I did NOT earn the cruise...not even close. I was 11K in points away, and though I had all the recruits, not enough to make it to the Bronze. How do I go from the TOT in the first part of the year, and go into the busiest part of our year and fail!?!? Talk about feeling like a complete loser..... :cry: I'm slowly getting over it, but it has been a struggle...I've really thought that maybe the stress of worrying about how many sales I'm going to get out of XYZ show, or how many bookings or recruits I'm going to get has just ruined it for me. I did not do $1250 in December, but $30 shy of it and I have NOTHING going on for January. Nada...well, except 2 small shows for the bag....Whoopy Doopy.... My Upline is wondering if I'm ok even! I had kicked this up and now in January I'm about to lose my HO leads, won't earn the Director pack or even the level 1 product pack! I have a whopping $220 in sales in currently and can't even pull it together enough to care. But, something inside of me isn't completely giving up. I know it's not that I can't...because I have and CAN, but something has got to change.... I'm so disappointed in not earning the trip last year that I've mentally tossed in the towel. And the worst part is, I thought I was THE only one...So, thank you for these posts. I cannot even tell you how much better I feel at least knowing I'm not the only one feeling like a hypocrite and fake. Because, on the outside, to my team, all is A-OK. On the inside I'm falling apart personally and with my biz and I cannot even tell you how I'm going to get it together. SO looking forward to Spring Launch. If it isn't great, I too, will be done....

 

[pamperedbecky]

Thanks for sharing, Heather. I hope things get better for you. It does sound like you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself. It's hard not to do sometimes. Don't feel bad that you didn't earn the cruise. You're basically working a new biz in the last 18 months and having to deal with the ups and downs of the business.

As for the anxiety-do you notice it in other areas of your life? Or just PC and shows? If it's really just shows, then try to forget about earning trips, earning incentives, meeting Director requirements, etc. Try to maybe get back in to the biz for the reasons you originally enjoyed it. Maybe then you'll start to enjoy shows more. I know when I focus too much on the "other stuff" I get VERY discouraged. That gets me down and I don't want to work my biz. I earned trips 5 years in a row.... sometimes "bronze" and sometimes "silver" (although they weren't called those back then). My biz took a nosedive and I haven't earned a trip since Disney. I got VERY bent out of shape about this because the trips were "my thing." They were what kept me motivated and I liked earning those better than earning the paycheck!! I started seeing my biz slide in '09 when I had surgery on my right hand and couldn't do many shows. It's never recovered since then. I feel that when I let myself off the hook for not earning trips anymore, it helped a little. I'm still disappointed and I hope to get back to that level, but now I just try to keep biz afloat. My goal through the end of last year was to just keep my directorship and not lose it. Well, I accomplished that, but my business got worse due to other things in my life (going back into my previous field of work (counseling/therapy - so I understand about the stress/anxiety!), surgeries with my son, other LIFE stuff) and now I may not even be able to maintain directorship. I almost gave up on the whole biz, but am now trying to just get back to ENJOYING it. It's the shows I personally liked the most, so I'm trying to focus on that and if I lose my directorship, it's not the end of the world.

So, try to give yourself a break and see if you can rediscover the love you once had for the shows and the business. See where it takes you maybe?? Good luck!!!

And you are definitely NOT alone!!! I'm so glad I rejoined DCS (I was gone for 6 months) to see I'm not alone in my feelings either. Vent when you need to!! I'm sure you'll get some great support here.

 

[Puccalsellate]

Thanks Becky - I appreciate your response!

No, it's not just at PC shows, but in other areas of my life, so I know it's me! :help: LOL...

But, it's funny how when we pray for guidance on something, and God slowly starts to show us what we asked for, we don't like it suddenly. I have asked God to show me His will with the biz and all aspects of my life and it's funny how shows are cancelling left and right, recruiting appointments have cancelled and are MIA and it's just odd. Now, I'm still trying just to see if this is really the end or not, but I can only bang my head against the proverbial brick wall so long!

Still looking forward to Saturday (Spring Launch) though...

 

[jwpamp]

I just got back from a short vaca with my daughter (in Florida)...and only read a few posts, but boy -- they hit home. You are not alone. I find myself having to take time off every once in a while. January was the month for me. I have $260 in personal sales, most of my team is struggling and I am not being of any help to them this month. I put in for a grace month (which I have never done before) but won't need it since we won't hit our $5000 team sales goal anyway.

I am in the process of working on booking February (I have no shows on the schedule and haven't had any "real" shows since November). I get a little ticked with the company every once in a while at their response to some issues....for example the time it took them to readjust the Director level issues -- hopefully whoever created that first "Career Plan" a few years ago was fired. It created a downward spiral that still hasn't stopped for many.

Time to take a deep breath and then give it another go -- I have to come up for air every once in a while.

Would love to post more, but have things to catch up on -- sending hugs to all who are struggling. I am right there with you!

 

[chefkathy]

I wrote a long response last night while on my Netbook but I lost my internet connection before posting. GRRRR!!! Thankfully I had the sense to copy and paste it into a word document before hitting the post button, so I'll try to go fetch it and post it today. Just wanted to add that I am nodding in solidarity. Hang in there everyone!

 

[Nanisu]

Once again, thank you everyone for your encouragement and the courage to speak up, I really was feeling like a failure after 12 years...that's what I was struggling with so much. I definitely feel like I', not alone in this...thanks again.

 

[ChefVee]

hey girls... im in Canada. Have had these feelings for about 2 years now ... not to the point of wanting to quit, but so many of the things you have put on here are so familiar to me! unappreciative team members, wierdly insane hosts... sometimes i wonder why I put up with this crap from anyone!
Things are so different in last 2 years or so with my biz, and i think that directorship can actually be too stressful at times. Especially when you are doing everything in your power to help people and they dont take your advice and yet still waste you time whining about it constantly.... Like banging your head against a wall! And honestly, my own biz suffered because i was spending so much time trying to make sure everyone elses biz was working for them!
I actually stopped having meetings because it was so dissapointing having 21 people on the team and having only 2 or 3 show up and so many of the times it was all hospitality!
They dont come to a meeting but will call or e-mail me when they are desperate and beg for help... "HELLO... if you were at the meeting you would have all you need to fix this"!!

ok... done... just ranting. this thread brought up some stuff again for me i guess..LOL