The very next day, I found myself calling my receptionist telling her that I would, yet again, be just a little late on my way back from lunch.  Isn’t it funny how it’s ok when I was late, but not ok when my assistant manager was?  Why was he consistently late?  I think a large part had to do with what he was seeing in me.

It is so easy to get upset with others when they don’t meet the expectations that we expect of them.  But how often do we look at ourselves and understand that often their biggest problems are our own?  The greatest leaders are those who think before they say.  Because they know that if they do something different than what they say they will, people begin to doubt them.

The next time you are upset with someone for doing something, think about whether or not you have done something similar and remember that they look up to you.  So instead of being so upset with them that all you do is yell, live your life they way you wish they would live theirs and you will be amazed at how much better they start to become.

When you watch an amazing ballroom dancer, the typical watcher would look at their face, the way they move together, their lines and the pretty dresses.  One thing that they typically would not pay attention to is their feet.  But what’s funny is the more I dance, the more I work on my feet.  I have spent hours trying to perfect not only where and when I place my foot but exactly how it is placed.  Even as a professional, that is where dancers spend a lot of their time in practice, even though it is one of the least noticed parts of their dancing.  Why?

Because it doesn’t matter how pretty the line is or how nice the dress is if the dancer doesn’t have their basics down, they are not going to look right; they are not going to move right; and they are not going to be the best dancers. 

Business is this way too.  Becoming an expert at work is not usually about what others see.  It is more about what they don’t see.  For top people in business, much more time is spent behind the scenes on the basics than in full view of everyone.  Maybe this is why not everyone is at the top of their game.  I know that sometimes it is difficult for me to focus on where my feet go and how I place them when all I want is for someone to see the pretty lines.  The behind the scenes part of becoming an expert is what goes unnoticed. 

Do you have the will to put in the work to get your feet right?  Even though it is likely that no one but you will ever know the work you put in to get there?

We had incredible special guests like DVM Drew Frank, Trent Booth, Mike Monroe, Jake Koon, Betsy Crouch and Dr. Derek Hassay!  It was a star-studded event!  Everyone was engaged and excited to hear from some of our key managers and special guests.  

Everyone in attendance is excited about having the best summer of their lives as well as changing the lives of those they’ll come in contact with.  We are going to help people design the life of their dreams.  This summer thousands of new people will have the Vector Opportunity presented to them.  Some will accept the challenge and some won’t.  Those that will, will be better for it. 

At our event we had people that just started a few months back but are excited to be assistant managers this summer and impact people’s lives in a positive way.  They have no idea what to expect from a Vector summer but they are excited!!!  It was amazing to see someone like Ian Lypps who started in September (only 7 months ago) choose the path of being a District Manager- pursing a career with Vector!  He gets it!  He understands that he can build a thriving business, help people achieve their goals and leave a legacy!  That is what the Vector Opportunity is all about.

Whether people stay with Vector for 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years, the experience will stay with them forever!  This is a place like no other.  We are Team Canada.  We are a family.  We take care of each other and we help others to become the best version of themselves.

At our event we celebrated Mike Smith’s 20-year anniversary with Vector and Jim Kalil’s 25-year anniversary with Vector.  Those types of anniversaries don’t happen often in the world these days.  Vector is a place where people can grow and develop into amazing individuals.  It’s a place where people create lasting friendships and moments that they will cherish for a lifetime.

The Vector Summer of 2012 will be different than all the other summers – every summer has it’s own uniqueness to it.  That is what makes Vector so exciting.  The thrill of changing people’s lives for the better.  So get ready for the best summer of your life!  The best is yet to come!

Rhancha Connell is National Sales Promotion Manager for Vector Marketing Canada Corporation. She started her Vector Marketing career in 1990 in the York Region office as a receptionist. By December 1991, Vector Marketing’s presence in Canada had grown dramatically, and she was offered the position of Sales Promotion Coordinator for Vector Marketing Canada. Shortly thereafter she was promoted to Sales Promotion Manager. In September 2002, Rhancha was promoted to National Service Manager for Vector Marketing Canada. On Oct. 1st, she was promoted to National Sales      Promotion Manager as well as overseeing the Field Service Department at the Canadian headquarters in Oakville, Ontario. 

Did you hear the big news?  Vector Marketing Corporation has formed the Vector Foundation.  If you want to read the formal press release, you can read it here but the essence is that since giving is such a core value at our company – it only made sense to form the Foundation.  And since we sell Cutco Cutlery, it’s natural that we’d want to support causes that promote healthy living and enriched lives.  If you spend any time around Vector people – you know we always say “It’s not really about the knives.”  And really – it’s not!

Over the next year, the Vector Foundation will donate $100,000 to both Make-A-Wish Foundation® and Feeding America®.   We’ve always encouraged a culture of giving.  Our business is solid and that luxury is not lost on anyone in the company – from the top, down. It’s important to do what we can to help others – today and in the future.

We’ve always supported worthy causes – now we can just do it in the most organized, efficient way possible through the Vector Foundation.   It’s really quite impressive – at a time when most companies are struggling and tightening their belts – the executives at Vector realized that it is THAT much more important that we continue to support our communities and our country. 

Yet another reason why I’m proud to work here.

However, something that this willingness for change calls attention to is the mentality that “the grass is always greener on the other side”. This mentalitiy is something that I have seen not only in the younger generation but in everyone. But one thing is true: you cannot sell your house, move in to your neighbor’s and expect the grass to remain greener. More often than not, the reason your neighbor’s grass was greener is because THEY TOOK CARE OF IT.

There is nothing wrong with change. But changing your surroundings and expecting life to be better without changing what you do in those surroundings only helps in the short term. If you want to be successful, don’t be afraid to try new things; but when you try those new things, actually work at them.

Water your lawn: give your life the nutrients that it needs to be successful. Read books, talk to leaders, learn from others. Continue to grow by continuing to feed your need to grow.

Mow your grass: Do the work that it takes to be successful. Don’t just sit there and expect everything to be handed to you. You have the skills that it takes to be successful. You just need to use them.

Allow the Sun to Shine: Enjoy where you are NOW. Don’t spend your whole life waiting for everything to go well later. Enjoy when life is going well NOW.

It’s o.k. to compare your lawn to your neighbors. Just remember that a lot of work goes in to making that lawn green.

Ok, so obviously you can’t really get an extra day in your life but why not use the extra day in February to really impact the world and make a difference for yourself or someone else. There’s still time – don’t let today be just like yesterday or the day before it. After all – Feb. 29 only comes around once every four years. Let’s make it count.

Consider doing something for others, as  Vector Calgary sales representative Devin Haag is doing. Between donations from his customers and his own monetary donations, Devin is working toward providing all the necessary kitchen cutlery for the kitchen at Eagles Nest Ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada. The ranch is a year round camping facility for kids with challenging backgrounds and provides children with an opportunity to be in a loving, nurturing environment where they can just be a kid at camp.

Maybe today is the day you take the leap to commit to growing your Cutco business. Maybe you’ll decide to attend Vector’s Rep Development Conference (RDC) or maybe you’ll just make it a point to attend your office’s next team meeting. Perhaps as a new manager, you’ll begin exploring social media as a business tool (which we highly recommend!). Or just maybe – you’ll take that class you’ve been dreaming of or talk to that cutie that sits next to you in class.

As Jon Vroman, motivational speak and co-founder of  The Front Row Foundation said at last year’s RDC, “There’s no more powerful time than right now for you, in this moment. Are you willing to go out and work to get what you want?”

There are certainly some fun and silly “traditions” that come along with Leap Day. (Perhaps Leap Day Williams’ girlfriend will propose? Or maybe he’ll just hand out candy for tears). Regardless, after the fun, take a moment to take stock of your life. How will you take a LEAP today…tomorrow…next week, etc.? Use this “extra” day to decide how to take your life to the next level.

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” - Gloria Steinem

Are you making the progress you ultimately want to make? 

The key is to ask yourself the right questions so you can see your trends clearly.  Many times we are simply trying to do better with big visions for what can be.  We may even have a plan in place, but then we fall short of what we know is possible.

Why?  Perhaps because we haven’t faced reality.   What’s the real deal about the last three years? How are you trending in terms of life progress, business progress?   We often think we are dealing with reality, but are we really?  Are we dealing with reality with ourselves?

Self awareness is often an important missed step. It’s more fun to look forward toward what we want, than to craft a great plan.

Here’s the first step to an incredible year of progress.

Ask yourself questions that will produce productive personal growth:

Do you feel like you’re accomplishing the level of progress you truly want?

How much progress did you make in 2011 compared to 2010? 

Whose opinions are holding you back?

Are you asking for help from the right people?

We are several weeks into 2012 which brings a vital question to ask; 

                   –> How’s your year going so far?

The initial response might be, “It’s too early to tell.”  But it’s really not.  How different is January then the previous 12 months?

Let’s go deeper,

What methods or approaches are we intuitively believing in, that are really conditioned thinking?  What positive behavioral changes have you stayed the course with in the last 2 years?  Where has evidence of your personal growth revealed itself in new results in the last 3 months?  What are the areas of personal ineffectiveness you have identified and have been working on for more than a month?  What is a vision you have stayed the course with and consistently communicated for more than 12 months?  What fundamentals of your endeavors have you stayed average at for more than a year?  Why?

None of this should be a discouragement, be strong!  This line of questioning is to get to the real issues, to get to the real answers that are personal to you so that you can create the progress you know deep down is possible.

Let’s say things are going great for you, and you were able to answer these in a way that makes you feel accomplished.  That’s great, but now what?  Many go in cycles of Progress –> Regression –> Progress –> Regression… like a slightly upward trending stock market over time. 

Dan Casetta, Vector’s Bay Area division manager shares something like; “In order to grow, you have to do everything as well as you did last year, then add to it.”  The “adding to it” for these achievers is the easier part, what usually happens is the trading of a few key ingredients of success in the past for a few new ingredients.  At best this results in incremental overall growth over our best year of progress.

This is your life, right now!  The life your living, is your life!

Get clear about where you are at, make one to three distinctions about why you will grow and stay the course with your focus on these things.

To get the external progress we desire we must experience first, the same level of progress within.

Tom is one of the most respected people in our business.  He’s a true team player, dedicated worker and genuinely cares about others. But enough from me; below is Tom’s story, in his own words….

It was 1992, I was 45 and out of work after quitting my family restaurant business.  I needed a job.  “Sales” was at the bottom of my list, it just didn’t fit me. I sat in self-pity for over a month.
 
At the same time, my 19-year-old daughter took this “crazy knife selling” job for the summer, which I objected to her doing.  After a couple weeks she showed us Cutco.  Guess who was the most impressed? ME! 

Two weeks later I attended a Vector Parents Conference in Des Moines with my wife and daughter.  While they were chatting in the front seat of the car, I started to read her training manual and thought “I could do this!”

 
At the conference, I was one of the oldest parents there.  I had the pleasure of hearing a wrap-up speech by then-Vice President of Cutco Marty Domitrovich.  I was inspired watching the young people receive trophies for their summer sales success! I did the math and I figured if a young person could sell that much in a summer, I could do it full-time, year-round and make more than what I was making as a manager in my own restaurant. 
 
The next day, I applied and the rest is history.

What did it do for me? It changed my life.  Immediately, it improved my staggered and bruised self-worth.  I was being recognized for my performance in ways I never expected and it gave me a chance to use my creative, fun side.  It didn’t seem like a job. It wasn’t easy, but it gave me a greater sense of self value.  The income came as a great by-product for helping people improve the drudgery that existed in their kitchen, so I knew I was helping people improve their lives.
 
My wife and I have traveled the world, gone to places we never thought we could go to and did it with some amazing people like us, other Cutco reps. Many of my best friendships developed because of Cutco. I’m proud to sell the  World’s Finest Cutlery, because it truly is the best.  But most importantly, it now allows us the financial flexibility to give to needy charities and save for our future retirement.  We’ve been lucky enough to be able to sponsor two children – one in Haiti and one in El Salvador, both for the past 10 years.  My wife and I both feel blessed to be a small part of such a great company that really CARES, as we really care to give back too.  

Tom Rastrelli, Cutco Sales Professional (CSP) has been selling Cutco with Vector Marketing since 1992.  He has personally sold more than $1 million worth of Cutco Cutlery.  Tom is currently the CUTCO National Fair Consultant and a Realtor Branding Gift Solutions Specialist with the company.  He resides in Plano, Texas with his wife. Tom is a father and grandfather.

http://www.mycutcorep.com/contactme/

I ran out during my lunch today to take care of a few errands. The roads are clogged, stores packed and parking lots so full that you even have to stalk someone for a spot at Wawa. It’s that time of year when many of us are busy buying holiday gifts for loved ones and friends, whether it be for Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. (You get my inclusive drift!).

People are always talking about how much over their budget they went while shopping for the 35+ people on their list or the stress of trying to find the “perfect” present for that person who is just impossible to shop for (in my house – that’s my husband).

As I’m waiting (and waiting and waiting) at an intersection to turn into a shopping center, I saw a sign that said:

 ”Smile – it’s free!”

It really made me stop and think and about what is actually important.  When was the last time you smiled at a stranger, just for the heck of it?  Or for that matter, when was the last time you smiled at a loved one, just for the heck of it?  I wonder what would happen if we all just smiled at each other a little more.

So, on that note – my holiday wish for you all is that you are given such an abundance of smiles,  that you are forced to regift them to someone else!

Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it. ~Author Unknown

Last night, I picked up my young daughter from school. Just as I drove around the bend to leave, a driver coming into the lot started screaming at me. And when I say screaming, I mean window-rolled-down-arms-flying-top-of-her-lungs screaming. I was pissed!

My instinct was to scream back. After all, she really annoyed me AND she was wrong (I DID stop at the stop sign!). But then I thought about the little, VERY observant person sitting in the back seat who is learning how to navigate the world from me and her dad. So I stopped myself, rolled down my window and very politely said “Sorry, Ma’am.” As we drove away, my daughter asked “Why was that lady yelling, Mommy?” I just replied “She wasn’t happy with something she thought I did and it would have been silly to yell back at her, right?”



That lady was a NUTCASE and I REALLY wanted to yell back at her – but it was more valuable for my daughter to see how you can calmly respond to situations like that (she’s a drama queen). She’s going to run into a lot of “nutcases” in her life. Sometimes those nutcases will be right – and sometimes they won’t be. But either way, it’s my obligation to SHOW her how to handle it (even though I still want to yell at that woman!).



This is the same in the business world. We ALWAYS have a choice on how we act and react. There is always someone looking to us for how to handle a challenging customer, a struggling representative or someone who is just having a bad day. We will all make mistakes (some real, some perceived) – we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. The important thing is how we handle them and how we respond.



Rise above the frustration and respond as though the person who admires you the most is watching.