WHY?
Often in life, God puts things in our path and we question or wonder why? As Spectacular Expo Events started to unfold into a business I began to reflect on my life and became blessed to see the unveiling of WHY in so many areas of life.
Entrepreneur At Heart
The Bible says to train up a child in the way they should go. I believe that means so much more then just teaching Biblical truths. I believe it means train them to know their strengths, teach them to overcome their weaknesses, teach them to study their temperaments, discover passions in life, learn character, gain Godly wisdom and when you have done that a career path will be easier to recognize. My parents did that with me, teaching biblical truths yes, but also encouraging me to be all I could be as a woman and they made sure every possible door was open. As a 6 year old I turned a play house into a "business office", as an 8 year old I would empty the pantry of can goods, line them up on my bed and use the ironing board as my grocery store counter and of course make my younger brother and sister be my customers. When I was 11, my Mom purchased a bag of the little pompoms you get in the craft store. With those I started making pencil toppers adding eyes and making cute creatures. I would make them then walk the neighborhood selling them. My parents always encouraged the entrepreneur in me and did all they could to develop that passion.
After high school I went to college for Elementary Education but never felt that was where I belonged. After leaving college I became an Activities Director in Assisted Living and Nursing Homes. For 12 years, that was a job I could not wait to get to in the mornings and when most hated Monday morning, looked forward to them. It allowed me to use my creativity, develop stimulating activities and bring life to a forgotten generation. As an adult I've been in two direct sales businesses and developed an awesome team with Tastefully Simple. I also started my own Chocolate Dipping Business and have created some one of a kind treats that always sell out. The business paths have been amazing training in drive and determination to see the task through, experiance in working expo events, marketing, networking, organizing, managing, training and more.
How SEE Got Its Start
Starting a Tastefully Simple business in an area where I was the only consultant has had its challenges. Not having a local upline to team with, I had to lead my team right from the start. Knowing the importance of working as a team I began to think of ways I could unite my team. I created a team only facebook page then came up with an idea to host a large team party. The purpose was to not only expose the new line of goodies to our clients but it was also used to train my team and get them to know one another. From the start the events were so popular my team would ask "When can we do it again?" Our guest started asking to be invited back and those who were in direct sales and had small businesses of their own started asking if they could participate as vendors. For two years I developed what worked and what did not work and finally said "yes" to those asking if they could participate. In December of 2011, we held our first event with other vendors. It was a great success and all our vendors wanted to do it again.
I saw the need for those in small business to have an afordable a place where they could showcase their business, wares, creations, to the local community. A place where we could network with one another in a non competitive atmosphere. A place where when you're down you can come to be encouraged and built up. In January 2012 SEE started with just a few friends and our few friends have grown to many wonderful friends.
I saw the need for those in small business to have an afordable a place where they could showcase their business, wares, creations, to the local community. A place where we could network with one another in a non competitive atmosphere. A place where when you're down you can come to be encouraged and built up. In January 2012 SEE started with just a few friends and our few friends have grown to many wonderful friends.
Why The Red Bird?
As a child one of my heroin's was a woman named Marline Evans. She was not only a Godly woman but she was a wife, mother, dynamic speaker and an encourager to women around the country. We enjoyed having her in our home many times and she loved my Grandparents. She loved Redbirds and as a child when I saw a Redbird I would always stop and pray for her. When I became an adult she passed away and for a few years when I would see a Redbird I did not know what to do. It was always an empty feeling when I would see one. After my sister shared that her love sign was a dime and how God had used that in her life so many times, I thought, I know just what mine will be....a Redbird!
I had no idea the importance the Redbird would become in my life. I'm amazed how God has used this precious gift to bless me again and again. One of my favorite love signs was when my husband and I were in a rush looking for a house. I had been with the realtor for several hours and we were both tired of not finding what we needed. She gave ma a paper and said; "Here is a home you can go look at if you want. If you like it, call me in the morning and we will go over the details." When I arrived I was stressed if this would be the right home and we did not have time to keep looking. When I opened the gate and walked into the back yard there were 14 redbirds flying around welcoming me home! At that moment I knew this was the right choice. That is just one of many Redbird stories I could share. If you don't have a love sign, I encourage you to choose one. You'll be amazed how many times God will bring that little blessing into your life, at just the right time.
Our Future
Although we don't know what our future holds, we know who holds our future. We believe if we remain faithful to Him, He is sure to do great things through us. God has already opened so many doors that we could have never opened and we give him all the praise. We look forward to helping our vendors grow in business, we look forward to helping groups, organizations and churches raise funds for those in need and we look forward to seeing what great things we can do together.
