People talk about the American Dream – the ability to make money with complete freedom in this country. This dream is what has attracted so many immigrants to the United States over the years. If you were born in this country, you probably haven’t given much thought to the American Dream. This is undoubtedly because you’ve lived a life where your parents made sure you had everything you needed, and most of us got everything we wanted, too.
As we get older we realize we have to be responsible for getting the things we want and need. Then, it may not be quite so easy. Especially today when we are experiencing economic turmoil like most of us have never experienced.
The American Dream is still alive and well. But it doesn’t come without some hard work and some sacrifice. What are you willing to give up to achieve your dreams? What are your dreams and goals? Can you articulate them by writing them down? This is a good habit – writing down all of things you want to be, do or have. You may be surprised as you review your goals over the years how many of them have been achieved.
One of my goals is to replace my annual income as my monthly income. How am I going to do this? First, I’m going to believe that I can. I subscribe to a life philosophy that says, “Thoughts become things, choose the good ones.” Second, I plan to create multiple streams of income. I don’t want to have to rely on one source for my income. I’m a partner in my own law firm – that’s one source. There I trade my time (and the time of my employees) for dollars. I’m also an author and I own the publishing company that produces my books – that’s another source. I’ve taught law school – another source. I have some investment income – yet another source. Someday, I’ll have Social Security income (maybe). And then there’s the monthly and residual income I earn from SendOutCards. This is the source of income that has the greatest potential for long-term stability.
When I can’t practice law anymore, my income stops. If I stop writing and publishing books, my income stops. If I don’t teach, my income stops. Investment income can fluctuate based on the idiosyncrasies of the stock and bond markets. Social Security income, well that’s another conversation altogether. SendOutCards income is where I see the opportunity for my future.
I was first introduced to SendOutCards at a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was attending a conference of attorneys, certified public accountants and financial advisors that wanted to work successfully with families whose net worth was more than 10 million dollars. Midway through the second day, my friend (and SendOutCards business partner) Teresa and I took a break and went to the shopping mall nearby. We went into Tiffany’s and tried on diamond rings. We each found one we liked (not hard to do). We gasped when we saw the price tag – more than $65,000! Teresa asked, “Would we ever spend $65,000 on a diamond ring?” “Unlikely,” was my response. But, we determined that we might be willing to spend $25,000 on a ring if we had a way to make extra income (defined as income we did not need for our daily expenses and savings). We discussed the various possibilities for making money. We could start another business…but this time, instead of a law practice we wanted to do something that was “easy and fun.”
The very next morning we went back to our conference and the first person on the podium that morning was Adam Packard. He introduced us to SendOutCards by showing us how we could use the online card creation system in our businesses to help us do a better job of staying in touch with clients, family and friends. We would never again forget another birthday, anniversary or special occasion. This is great! Exactly what we need to do a better job staying “top of mind” with those people we cared about. We could use our own handwriting and even send gifts. Perfect, how do we sign up? Both Teresa and I had determined very quickly this was a great tool to use in our law practices. What we didn’t know about (or see at that moment) was the business opportunity that was staring us right in the face.
Teresa and I spent that weekend at the Grand Canyon relaxing, exploring and thinking about business opportunities we could get involved with (or create) that would be “easy and fun.” We were unable to come up with an answer. They were either too time intensive or required a large capital investment. Then, Tuesday morning when I got on the plane to fly back to Orlando, I sat down next to a lady whose first words were, “Have you ever heard of SendOutCards?” I was stunned. There it was – the answer to our “easy and fun” question. A business opportunity we hadn’t even considered, until that moment. And it didn’t cost a fortune to get started. By 10 a.m. the next morning, we became SendOutCards distributors, we were registered as a limited liability company (don’t forget, first we are lawyers), and we owned the domain name, CardDivas.com.
That was the start of our SendOutCards experience – and it’s been a great one. We quickly promoted to the level of Senior Manager. We achieved VIP status at our first Convention in 2009. We won a spot on the VIP incentive trip to Cancun in early 2010. And, we qualified as VIPs again for the 2010 Convention. Talk about fun! We have met so many wonderful people. Never have we been surrounded by so many motivated positive people. They keep us motivated and moving forward because we want to be surrounded by them and their success!
Our goal now is to promote to Executive. To do so, we have to help five (5) people achieve Senior Manager status. Becoming a Senior Manager takes some concentration and some effort – but it’s not that hard (and it is fun). What’s hard seems to be finding people who are motivated to achieve something greater in their lives. It’s easy to make excuses – I have a full time job, I have kids and a husband, I don’t have any money, I ……blah, blah, blah. Fill in the blanks. Frankly, if someone is looking for an excuse, any one will suffice. Excuses are simply empty reasons for not accomplishing goals.
If you are a doer, someone who is committed to being, having and doing all that you can possibly achieve – you should consider this company! We will be happy to help you accomplish your goals – whatever they are. “Make a Living Through Giving” – very simple, send a card a day and a gift a week. You can make it happen!
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