Star Struck again!

Working at home can be quite monotonous some days. Same old, same old. However, some days can be truly extraordinary. Like when you answer the phone and there is a celebrity on the other end of the line. Your heart skips a beat (or two) and you try to simply make words come out in a cohesive sentence. Nothing you can do prepares you for that moment. The thought "just be professional" keeps running through my head. Candice Michelle was her name. Now unless you are a die hard playboy fan or into women's wrestling, you may not recognize the name. I didn't. But then again, unless it's Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks, I probably won't recognize any other celebrity name either. I had to IM our marketing director (while I was on the phone no less) to find out who this person was. Of course she knew, and that is why she works for us! Long story short, we chatted for awhile and helped her work out which necklace will work for what she is trying to accomplish. Sweetheart of a gal and used a beautiful photo for her necklace. I am anxious to get started on it and hear her reaction when she receives it. I know this photo holds special meaning for her. The moral of the story is that: 1) You never know who might be calling so always answer in a professional manner and be ready for anything. 2) When dealing with a celebrity, treat them as first class as you would any other client, and vice versa. 3) Keep in mind the connections. If there is one order to go the extra mile on and make it Perfect, this would be it.

While not every day is exciting, this was the little bit I needed I push through these tougher times and make the best of it. It's not every day I can say that I spoke with a Playboy Bunny!

A day like no other or maybe just like everyday

The days events never cease to amaze me. How the house has not been burned down yet, I have no idea. As we scramble to get ready this morning, preparing for another busy day it occurs to me very quickly how mischievous little boys can be. I was on the phone with my mother in law, trying to multi task, brushing my hair when I noticed a very strange smell in the bathroom. Like a forest fire. I happened to look down where my son had been sitting just moments before. He had plugged in the iron that my husband had used that morning and laid it face down on a wooden step stool. Needless to say, there was a nice, neat burn mark in the shape of an iron. Quickly I unplugged it and explained to my mother-in-law what had just happened. I joked "I should date it, saying London was here" I don't think she found it quite humorous, probably wondering where those eyes-in-the-back-of-head were. My only saving grace is that I'm relatively sure my husband was no saint as a child:-) Top the day off with a sick 3rd child, sorry, I meant my husband, a car in the shop (sorry Mrs. Schabes, we don't know why it won't turn on), London sharing food with Michael (Michael is our dog, London is our son) and of course it was Michael's food they were sharing. "One for you and one for London" he says. If I wasn't so grossed out, I would have taken a picture. I quickly removed the food. But then of course, he moved on to the dog treats. My daughter asks, "isn't that poisonous?". Well Madeleine, I'm pretty sure if Michael can eat, it won't hurt London. He did try to eat a live sponge the last time we went out in the boat and that didn't seem to cause him any harm. I knew he was pretty much a vegetarian but what do you call a child that will eat pretty much anything EXCEPT normal people food?
It was an interesting day but watching my daughter snuggled up in bed with my son reading The Cat in the Hat to him was just perfect!

The advertising gig

The economy must be bad, real bad. I have had so many advertisers call me today slashing their prices (and I do mean slashing!), desperate to have anyone to fill these vacant spots. It's hard to resist, especially when some are truly wonderful deals. However, I found that running an ad a few times in a magazine doesn't get you far. Except maybe further in the hole. They want you to believe it's the best thing for your business and they'll sell it hard but beware. If you are a small business, most of the time advertising budgets are tight. Think long term. 3 times is the minimum I would run an ad for in any publication. You have to be able to get in front of them repeatedly. It's tempting to run an ad 1 times, just to see what you get. But most likely, you'll get nothing. For our company, I know the best advertising right now is excellent customer service. So much of our business is created by developing a relationship with our customers. They purchase something for themselves, it's wonderful. By the end, we know their life story and could easily call them a friend. What do you think happens when they need a very special gift for someone? Who they call? Bingo! True, it may be a slower development but it doesn't cost you a thing. And personally, there is just something gratifying about a customer returning multiple times or someone coming to us because their friend raved about our company. It makes me smile, big smile:-)
So the next time you fill an order or speak with a client, remember, they are your present AND your future. Treat them well and they will return. And hopefully bring friends!

Home office woes

Ahh, how I'm wishing for an office outside of the house right now!  As I sit in my office, the Wii is singing along in the background with the giggles of my kiddos as they try to hula hoop. My typing is briefly interrupted by a plastic boat zinging by my head. The 2 yr old doesn't seem to understand that I gave up my large office space to accommodate a playroom. For some reason, I actually thought the toys would stay there. And maybe, just maybe, my open office arrangement would make them less likely to try to join in and more likely to happily play next to me, in their own space. How silly of me! Sitting next to my stapler is a plastic Disney monorail that doesn't see to have an off switch, chanting "Please stand clear of the doors". And then there is the spool of ribbon, laying completely unraveled in the middle of the floor. There is no closing the door to concentrate, it's more like a daily trial of focus. How many interruptions and distractions can I handle while composing an e-mail that sounds like a person over 5 wrote?

Tip of the day:  I have found it to be completely unrealistic to isolate yourself while trying to work. The best way to make working at home easy on yourself and your family is to find ways to mesh the two. Have a laptop with a wireless internet connection. You can sit outside and be with the kids as they play and still sneak in a few e-mails!