Sweet, sweet carrots!

Ange and me at the Furama Resort in Da Nang

We returned from our trip to Vietnam on Wednesday morning. From the sun, heat and humidity of Da Nang to the overcast, cold and wet of Sydney took a little bit of adjustment.

It was a fantastic trip and I could wax on about it (pun not originally intended, but how great was that?) for pages and pages, but I have another idea....

My good friend Ben and I were having a coffee together this morning and we were discussing how amazing the trip was. I told Ben that I hadn't written my blog yet and that I honestly didn't know what to say. As we talked, we compared the benefits of PartyLite to all the other jobs we've had in the past. No one else had ever offered us the same sort of reward for doing our jobs. No one. We asked ourselves, why does PartyLite do it?

I think I figured it out. It's all about carrots.

After thinking about it on my walk home, I'd like to share something personal with you. Something I'm not sure you'd probably think about me.

The reason PartyLite is so generous in its rewards, recognition and incentives, is because it has to be better than every other opportunity out there to keep me involved. To keep me interested. To keep me motivated. To stop me from throwing in the towel when the going gets tough.

Yes, even I think about throwing in the towel.

This job is fun, simple, social, flexible, lucrative, exciting, and free. AND sometimes it is just plain hard. Hard to stay motivated. Hard to put up with no. Hard to deal with cancellations and postponements. Hard to fit it in with other things (work, family, and friends). Hard to regroup and get bookings. Hard to make that call.

So sometimes I do think about throwing in the towel and getting a "real job."

But that's where the carrots come in. The incentive trips are incredible: five star, exotic, no work, all play. No business will match them. The fact that I get to work when I want to (or work when I can) is amazing. No business will match that. The money I earn from my shows is great money for a simple (fun) activity. No business is as fun as a show. The money I earn from my leadership activities is unlimited. No business will match that. The training and development and inspiration and friendship I get from others in PartyLite is constant and uplifting. No business can match that. The freedom I have to do what I want, how I want, and when I want is unheard of in a "real job." No business can match that. The investment I make into developing my PartyLite business is time, not money. So even (nay, especially) starting my own business doing something else can't match that.

So when the internal voice in my head says it's all too hard, I think about the next incentive trip and I consider the possibility of not going on the next one and I completely change my attitude. I simply can't miss out.

That's why PartyLite does it. It's to motivate people like me. Because I need motivating to keep this up just like everyone else in the business needs motivating.

No matter what your goals are in this business, I can promise you this: you're not alone when you think of quitting. It is hard. We step outside our comfort zone everyday. But here's what you need to remember: That's why they pay us so well. That's why we get recognised for what we do. That's why the carrots are so good. That's why PartyLite does what no other company in my professional experience will do.

That's when you should take a deep breath, a time out, and start again tomorrow.

And you know what? It is worth it. Every time.

Eat your carrots.