Feeling Left Out as a Consultant: What to Do?

[LCOLACHICO]

Hi Everyone

I am a somewhat new consultant and do not want to sound like a complainer, but I have a dilemma. I feel left out of the circle.. I don't know how to get involved with my cluster because I live 4 hours away from them. I was set up to join a hospitably group.. I loved the people but still felt very felt out.. I felt like I was kind of in the way...and it is about 40 min drive each way...:yuck:

Again I am really sorry to sound so pathetic ... Am I the only one who has ever felt this way??? I LOVE the PC and the company and I even love my recruiter (she is of course my sil) just unsure of what to do to get out of this funk..

Thanks for reading...

 

[JAE]

Sorry you are feeling that way, Lara. How many times have you gone to the hospitality group? How many other people are there? I'm just trying to get a feel for what you're going through. It takes, what?, two hours together per person in a group before you all feel close. If you're a newbie, they already have what you are wanting and looking for. You have to take the time to grow into it. Don't give up.

 

[shuttermonster]

Nope... you are NOT alone. I also feel the same way. My director lives in TX. And I went to my first cluster meeting last night with some of the other team and it was 1 hour and 10 minutes away. And it has been somewhat frustrating communicating with my director.

I honestly think if it were not for everyone on chef success... I would have already hung up my apron!

 

[ameliasurf]

hey i am wondering why is it that if you move.. you can't just switch directors..... why are they not willing to accomidate with that? there is a girl i know that is in the same situation... but i think she live 4 hours away also!!!

 

[LCOLACHICO]

Thank you, for asking I think that the group had about 30 people there. I just felt left out... I tried to involve myself with them and it felt as if "look you are here because we were asked if you could join" not because we really want you here... only because you could not attend your cluster group.. I have no idea what days the host the cook and book it are and I am looking for a support group to help me learn as much as i can, so that I won't feel like someone else's pain in the butt. I may have taken it to personal, but if it were me I tend to go a little out of my way for my "host" "friend" someone new to try and make them feel as comfortable as possible... To make it worse I felt like I could call my sister in law and share my feelings.... But really I don't want to make it to personal.. She has here own fam and PC thing going on and frankly just does not have the time.. I am thankful to this web site. I have found a lot of ideas.. and I have read amazing stories. Still its the little things that I am unsure of.. and I wish that I could pick up the phone to call a person I knew.. to get the advice.. sorry again for the long poor me.. Really I want to be of help to anyone that I can... I have a few people interested to sell the PC and I really feel I am going to set them up to fall and I would hate to be that person...

 

[lkprescott]

I felt a little left out in the beginning too. I was invited to a hospitality cluster before I even knew what one was or that my director really doesn't do her own cluster meetings. The first time, I felt welcome but recognized that I'm really as welcome as I open myself up to being. They weren't hostile toward me and that's good news! LOL... I made sure to get an invite to the next month's meeting and now I get all the email rounds that go around, I get all the invites and I feel welcome. I volunteer to help out with bringing drinks or offering my two cents. I put in what I hope to get out of it and haven't been disappointed yet. My director also makes sure that one of the other directors there get my kudos when they come down the line so I get recognized too. I have to admit it was reallly hard sitting there hearing the directors praise their recruits and feeling a little left out that my director wasn't there but she makes sure I get it - in her own way. BTW, I travel at least 30 to 40 minutes to get to my meeting (one way) but doing that once a month sure beats the commute I used to make every day (2 to 3 hours round trip every single workday) so that helps keep it all in perspective for me.

 

[JAE]

You can ask lots of questions here and get answers quite quickly. Don't hesitate. Also, as you read more posts you'll start to really connect with certain consultants. As you learn much from some more than others, just send PM's if you don't want to start a thread. I PM ChefAnn if I have a technical question. I've PM'd others because they are specifically addressing something that I really want more specifics about. I send e-mails to ChefBeckyD daily and more. So many consultants here are very willing to help and are very helpful.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

You can ask lots of questions here and get answers quite quickly. Don't hesitate. Also, as you read more posts you'll start to really connect with certain consultants. As you learn much from some more than others, just send PM's if you don't want to start a thread. I PM ChefAnn if I have a technical question. I've PM'd others because they are specifically addressing something that I really want more specifics about. I send e-mails to ChefBeckyD daily and more. So many consultants here are very willing to help and are very helpful.

Hey! how come you don't PM me with your technical questions? :grumpy:

 

[JAE]

Hey! how come you don't PM me with your technical questions? :grumpy:

Well, because ChefAnn knows everything!
Ooohhh! I really wanted to come back with more and be really clever, but I am sooo tired. I can't even think straight. Besides, I figure I e-mail you about so many recipe and show details I can't add technical difficulties to all of that stuff. Speaking of that...I need to e-mail you about some chicken specifics that you mentioned in a different thread the other day.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Well, because ChefAnn knows everything!
Ooohhh! I really wanted to come back with more and be really clever, but I am sooo tired. I can't even think straight. Besides, I figure I e-mail you about so many recipe and show details I can't add technical difficulties to all of that stuff. Speaking of that...I need to e-mail you about some chicken specifics that you mentioned in a different thread the other day.

I'm tired too - on my way to bed now....if you email me tonight - I'll answer it in the A.M.:thumbup: