Serena ByDesign

Executive Focus: AJ Deeds, Founder of Loving Works

Serena — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:53:50 +0000

Last week I promised you some interviews with great MLM/direct selling and party plan companies. Every few weeks, we will highlight one of these great companies. To start off the series, I interviewed AJ Deeds of Loving Works. They are a relatively new company that just celebrated their second year in business. When I first met AJ, I was very impressed by his dedication to his products. He told me what a difference the products had made in his life and he wanted to share that with others. When I asked him why he started Loving Works, he said it …

Generous Execs or Money Hungry Scammers?

Serena — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:47:07 +0000

Are MLM, direct sales and party plan executives money hungry scammers or are they generous and giving? I think this a question that must be answered. The industry has been hurt by pyramid schemes and people who speak loudly but have little insight. I think, as with most businesses in the world, there are definitely bad apples out there. But as a whole, I have found that individuals that start or lead a direct selling company are very generous. For the last twelve years, ByDesign Technologies has had the privilege of working exclusively in this industry. In 12 years, you see a lot and you …

Is Potential a Bad Word?

Serena — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:44:55 +0000

Have you ever been told you have potential? It is a good thing, but growing up, I found it infuriating. Let’s look at the definition of potential from Dictionary.com. po-ten-tial adjective 1. possible, as opposed to actual 2. capable of being or becoming noun 5. possibility; potentiality 6. a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed. If you look at the first definition, you see that potential is possible not actual. When I was a junior in high school, I tried out for the high school tennis team. Having only played recreationally, I showed a lot …

5 Ways to Know It is Time to Quit

Serena — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:53:44 +0000

As I was thinking about this post, “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers kept running through my mind. It’s an oldie but goodie, and I am probably giving away a little too much about my age and background by sharing it! (my sons would be sooo embarrassed!!). The Gambler, Kenny Rogers Here at ByDesign Technologies (www.bydesign.com) we deal with all kinds of companies; mlm, party plan and direct sales. Some are billion dollar companies while others are start-ups. We have had the great pleasure of watching companies grow from absolutely nothing to huge successes and unfortunately we have also seen many …

The No Complaint Generation

Serena — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:04:28 +0000

Yesterday, on the local news, I saw a story about the Honor Flight Network. I had never heard of this non-profit before but they provide free trips for veterans to visit Washington DC war memorials. It is planned as a one day trip with the veteran and a guardian. What a great gift! A local group of WWII veterans was on the trip and as they were getting ready to take off and head home, their plane was grounded. This forced all of them to stay the night in local hotels without a change of clothes or toothbrushes. Many of these veterans …

An Amazing Gift

Serena — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:52:52 +0000

In this video, The difference a friend can make, 17-year-old Jonathan and 16-year-old Charlotte sing together for Britain’s Got Talent. I know the video above has gone viral, but I was so touched by it. Charlotte is so encouraging to her friend. Even though he is heavy-set and lacks confidence, she sees him for who he is, a nice guy and an amazing singer. He stumbles in the beginning, but she still encourages him. When he begins to sing, magic happens. As leaders, our goal is to help others achieve their goals by encouraging them to believe in themselves. Simon …

Are You a B.S.er?

Serena — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:22:32 +0000

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” Albert Einstein I love quotes! So much knowledge can be garnered from listening to what people say. I recently stumbled upon this quote by Albert Einstein. I would have loved a chance to sit in a room with this man. I am a “down to basics, bottom line” kind of girl. I don’t need flowery language, (commonly known in America as bs!). Just tell me what I need to know. When I discuss things with people, I push them for simple explanations. I know many times, they believe …

Service Counts

Serena — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:56:52 +0000

I went to a pizza joint that is known for selling pizza for $5 that are hot and ready. Not the best pizza, but a great deal for $5, perfect for my son’s classroom party. My son has a food allergy to dairy so I called ahead and ordered the pizzas, along with his cheese-less pizza. I set the time for pick-up at 1:30. I arrived at the store at 1:25 and when I walked in, I heard someone yell, “Did you put those pizzas in for 1:30 pickup??” The response was, “I am putting them in now.” Then the …

Honesty is the Soul of Business

Serena — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:07:58 +0000

Honesty is the soul of Business-Dutch Proverb When I read that I couldn’t help but laugh a little. Even my young children know that the things they see being sold on TV are not as great as they are promised to be. In America, we are all too familiar with the greed of Wall Street, the ugliness of politics and dishonesty of many televangelists. So how can the soul of business be honesty? I think that can be found in how we define honesty. I have had several people tell me that white lies are fine if it moves you …

Is Fear Keeping You From Success?

Serena — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:33:24 +0000

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan I love that quote by Michael Jordan. A fantastic basketball player and a great leader. Are you afraid to try? Recently I was talking with my son and shared a quote with him from Wayne Gretsky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” We were talking about just trying. Whether it is …