3rd times a charm.....

I'm am back from Convention in Liverpool, which was a new learning curve for more than one reason.

 

Scentsy UK Convention August 2011 - The Original

The first time I went, it was with no expectations at all. I really didn't know why I was going or what I would find. What I found were 40 Consultants, mostly women, who were utterly normal. All different, all alone at convention (there was the odd husband that had been dragged along) and all with a drive to get this done, to acheive and to make this work. We were laden with free product and the speeches were amazing. I sat through the second day in a bit of a daze as it dawned on me that this was really something. We had a huge opportunity here as Scentsy was starting out in Europe. Having spent serious time with the companies leaders and top execs that weekend, it was clear that these weren't the get rich quick types. They were honest about every aspect of how they had made it where they were, and how we would too. It would be hard, but it would be worth it.

Convention 2012 - Leeds, chatting afterwards

So lets cut to year 2, our second ever convention with 100 consultants. A few very nervous Consultants took to the stage to share their experience of events, parties & building a team. The microphone shaking in their hands. I sat there watching thinking, I'm so glad I can sit here and watch. I'd be terrified. More ludicrous freebies, and again I attended alone. My fledging team in their small numbers were unable to make it. I was more confident but still felt out of the loop. I was working my business and it was slowly building. I loved it but in that room all those ladies from last year were surrounded my their teams, they seemed to be getting it so right. The speeches again were amazing, emotive and inspiring. I was still sure I was going to make this work - I just felt like I wasn't doing it as quickly or as well as others.

Liverpool 2013. Third time round.  Holy wowser pants. A phrase I use because just one crazy word doesn't quite cut it. I wanted to sit and be inspired, to be trained, to have my heart filled with joy and embrace all that was Scentsy Convention. This time, however, it was different.

This year I had been asked to do a training in front of the 120 strong crowd. In front of my team. Top execs. My Peers. My tummy had been doing flips for weeks, I kept telling myself it'd be fine. The last time I was on a stage I got stage fright. School play 1993, I was Snick The Evil Goblin (starring along side Coldplays William Champion I might add) I had to burst out of my alien time capsule jail onto the stage. I just froze. I actually saw myself on stage like I was floating above as some sort of Angel of Doom. I considered walking off. The words didn't come, I messed up my 10 verse solo and promised myself I'd never grace a stage again. I never did. I chose to stick to back stage from then on, still loving the theatre and wishing I wasn't such a dufus.

Convention 2013 - Liverpool

Still, there was something different about it this time. I knew my stuff. I wasn't panicking about messing up my lines, I didn't have any. I'd prepared a few slides about how I'd organised myself and my business around all my other commitments. You know the score, full time job, running a karate dojo, 2 kids, husband that acts like a kid...., so I lived it and I knew the subject.

The biggest difference, was the expectation. I was with my team - 6 of them came along this time. I'd bigged up Convention so much to them - the freebies, the networking, the top execs, the trainings....I was not prepared for the fall out when it didn't meet expectation for some, or that there would be personalities that were hard to deal with. When you are the leader, all the feed back comes to you, the good and bad. All the traumas and all the joy. It was hard. I was trying to steady my nerves for my training the next day but I was starting to get exhausted from the constantness. I was still loving it, and loved having my Team around - they are a fabulous bunch and I'm so proud of them. But the event bought along challenges I wasn't expecting.

The morning came and it was my big day. I was the last in the line up of 4 Consultants. I couldn't concentrate on any of the content before my turn. My palms were all sweaty. Then it was me. Oh crikey the walk to the stage was the longest ever, the mic was mine and off I went. I looked out into the crowd and all I saw was freinds. I wasn't scared at all. I did my thing, I loved it. All I did was talk about how I worked my business and balanced everything in my life. I was so, so pleased to get such great feedback from my peers.

My wonderful team with Heidi & Orville Thompson

The afternoon rolled on and the big reveals came out, we got freebies, there were more drama's and I handled it all, I hope, with grace. It was a Convention experience that opened my eyes to a new chapter of my Scentsy story. I got to the hotel after it had all finished and I was exhausted by the constantness of it all. My mind racing, I was close to tears after a stressful yet uplifting and amazing weekend. Even though I was so emotionally tied up, I knew even then that once I got some perspective, I would be able to look back and see how much I had learnt from the experience. This is what it is to lead, it's not easy and these hurdles and bumps along the way will make me a better leader. I will be able to deal with it better the next time.

My days of sitting back and being entertained at convention are over - and I'm glad. Now it's for me to show others the wonder of Scentsy and our ethos of generosity, authenticity and simplicity. Its worth it all for others to be able to see what I see - a world of opportunity.

 Liz xxxx

Here the beef on what we learnt!

There is so much I am going to have to do it in bullet points!

• Grace Adele launches in the UK Sept 1st! It's like transformers for fashion chicks!
• Scentsy & Grace Adele launch 1st Sept. in Poland, Australia & Mexico! Join here to become one of the first Consultants in your region, woo hoo!
• Scentsy & Grace Adele launch in Spain & France 1st October! For more information on becoming a Consultant in these areas contact me!
• NEW line of warmers with a £25 price point launching 1st Sept!
• NEW Scentsy laundry line to be added 1st Sept! Scentsy wash days!
• NEW Social Media party planner tool!
• NEW quicker shipping times for UK!
• NEW fabulous fragrances :) 18 of them to be exact! Review to follow....