Living The Cash Back Life & Helping People Find What They Want Online

There's No Excuse Anymore To Not Start A Motives Business!

2012-05-26T05:30:57Z

The time has arrived for anyone aspiring to partner with Motives! The company recently launched a Fast Start program specifically for Motives by Loren Ridinger cosmetics to make it so easy and affordable to get started at a fraction of the usual cost, which is just like the MA Fast Start that I blogged about a few months ago that has an array of Health & Nutrition products for the same price. This new Motives Fast Start kit is just makeup and there's another kit focused on TLS weight management!

Check out the new flier, if you'd like a better copy contact me and I'll email it out to you.

So for just $399 with free shipping plus local tax new Motives Consultants get a starter kit with the best selling products in the collection and enough to do a whole consultation. It's like getting the UnFranchise subscription fee for the business and some business volume for free! I'd say the only thing they will need after the initial registration are foundations which the new Quads would be perfect for.

Normally I would start a new consultant for around $1,000. And we thought the 27 Piece Starter Kit was great, this new Fast Start is amazing! There's no small business loan to take out with that amount, like I just heard from someone that analyzed the other beauty and wellness network marketing companies out there, I think she was told to order $5,000 worth of product?! And that's just to start, then there would be monthly orders to keep that access, I can't imagine those kind of numbers with Motives!! We'd stock a whole makeup boutique at a salon with that kind of investment, and then some. At least the Fast Start kit has enough to do makeovers until the consultant decides what else they need, if anything, like the Ambition or Motives for La La Mineral makeup or Custom Blend Minerals system, or Pro Palette set.

This is going to be a major business builder for so many people working in the Motives specialty field of Market America / Shop.com, myself included. I just had a Pro Artist of mine upgrade to distributorship so that her associate could come into the business and they both jumped on the Motives Fast Start since it's such a money-saver! Supposedly she is the first Pro Artist change over to a distributor, I can't verify this but we had some interaction with corporate while making arrangements to register her with the brand new program and heard that it was possibly the first one which is exciting! It's a Motives Magic Moment!!

Now that you found this out, do you want to get started with Motives? Send me a message for interview and let's see if we're the right business for you and if you're the right partner for us!

The Shop.com Mobile App For Comparison Shopping With Cash Back

2012-05-21T19:16:40Z

Next week the debut of the state-of-the-art killer app for mobile shopping will be live! The corporate blog for Market America says that the new SHOP.com app has already been submitted to the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for approval and might be online as early as Wednesday. If you have a smartphone and like to take photos of the items you shop for to comparison shop and see if it's cheaper somewhere else then this is the app for you!

I already downloaded the Market America app as soon as I got my Droid which originally came out about two years ago but is limited with features even after several updates. I just find it amazing how MA makes it happen while other companies are still just planning a mobile strategy, they aren't even in the game yet! Its no wonder why our VP of Internet Marketing and Social Media, Steve Ashley, has been attending and speaking at so many industry events.

And with the recent acquisition of SHOP.com as the webportal for consumers to buy from, it's only sensible that the old app will be replaced by the new technology with the same concept of comparison shopping and cash back for registered customers. They can choose to pick their purchase up in the store, if in-store pick-up is available, or ship it home to earn their cash back and get any exclusive hot deals offered to MA preferred customers, which is a free service, there is no charge to download the app or to shop at the webportal.

Next month the industry publication Internet Retailer is publishing an article on the money-saving app and it will surely make waves in the eCommerce universe. Earlier this year they wrote about Market America's innovative business technology and ongoing efforts to be the best in the marketplace in the January 2012 issue. I'm so glad my subscription just kicked in so that I got that one to save. Can't wait to check out the new app and read the press for it too.

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UPDATE 5/26: Still waiting for the app to be available. There's supposed to be an update to the maMobile app that I already have installed on my Droid which will automatically change it over to the new SHOP.com app. Hopefully it'll show up after the Memorial Day weekend.

Seized An Opportunity To Show The Nurses Some Appreciation

2012-05-13T04:16:16Z

Earlier this week I did an event at one of the top 3 hospitals in New York! It was for Nurse Appreciation Week and a contact from a previous expo asked me to participate doing makeovers on the nursing staff in Manhasset. It was an amazing opportunity for me to show them some love for helping with my mom's illness back in the years 1999-2001 which was a very depressing point in my life with barely any support. She lost her battle there to Liver Disease and the event's timing just happened to coincide with Mother's Day preparations so I couldn't turn it down. My mother in law was an RN before Diabetes took her about 5 years ago, so I knew I'd be honoring her memory too.

After some initial phone tag with the administrators organizing the event I finally got the details and brought my Motives kit, director chair and skincare to do a six hour stretch of makeup touch ups on whoever signed up on our sheet for 15 minute appointments. Well, let me tell you that I'm not exaggerating when I say that I barely had time to take a bathroom break and am so thankful that my colleague Laura assisted me because we were swamped with makeovers! LOL And Motives for La La foundation quads and Full Court Eye Shadow Palette plus the Ten Years Younger finishing spray were the biggest hits that night.

They set up a large conference room with lavender table coverings and used some privacy screening to section off the massage areas with a spread of healthy snacks down a table in the middle of the room. Our table was between the Aromatherapy service provider doing handcials and a few beauty brands from Lord & Taylor(!) that came, plus a masseuse across the room. I was a bit disappointed in the late arrival and early departure of those beauty brands but then a few of those reps were kinda rude and pushed passed us as they set up, I guess they were viewing us as competition even though it wasn't a retail event. They didn't bother us on their way out which happened so fast that I think they must've attended only 3 or 4 hours in all. Oh well.

We were the last to leave with every nurse or staff member making sure that she got her time in the chair and got some pampering done. A bunch of them told me they never wore makeup and many confessed that they didn't even know what to put on, which is what I hear from women a lot. I offered tips as I did their makeup with simple suggestions like just getting their brows threaded and doing easy applications of mascara and a soft nude lipstick for everyday use. The organizers were telling us how they were getting feedback from everyone that was raving about the makeovers. The biggest challenge was cleaning and sterilizing the brushes, after a while they were too wet so I had to rotate with my older extras from the original Motives brush line.

One woman with a bubbly personality said she was always "au naturale" and had a crowd of colleagues waiting to see her makeover to which they celebrated when we finished. She said her patients aren't going to recognize her and was floored by the soft smokey eye I did on her. My cell phone didn't do any justice to their makeovers and I didn't take any "befores" and only 5 "afters". All in all it was a lot of fun, I just looked earlier today to discover that we had a total of 21 appointments on the sign up sheet! No wonder why we stayed until 10pm?!

Anyhow, I think we did the right thing by the nurses and got to show some amazing women that are so busy caring for others how to do little beauty tips to care for themselves. We'll just have to wait and see how this comes back to bear fruit. In the meantime you can check out my Facebook Page with those photos and don't forget to "like" my page, thanks and Happy Mother's Day!

So Many Things Are Coming Together Lately

2012-05-13T02:59:38Z

These last several weeks have been a flurry of activity for me and my team. Many of the contacts that we've made over the years are blooming with the Spring weather. It's like some of the seeds we planted have sprouted and creating the growth that we've been cultivating for the business. It seems like so much of the Market America - Shop.com and Motives branding is finally producing fruit.

Looking back at my dayplanner back in late Winter there wasn't much planned ahead for April, May and June's quarter with the exception of our standard meetings. Now that I look at it there were a few surprise events and appointments that presented themselves and I love the resulting business growth. Not only did I get a Pro Artist to qualify for the program but a Teen Apprentice also got started along with a new distributor that is focusing on Motives and Wellness.

There are presently a few more people requesting information that are serious and not just "tire kickers" or someone else's prospect that's just double checking the info that their contact is or isn't telling them. I had a few of those that ended up wasting some of my time. It's not my position to close someone else's potential partner or customer into a distributor, only for my personally sponsored team....that's when it's my responsibility. Yet I can't help but do the right thing when I can, since I believe in the Karmic Law of Return and it looks like it's paying off now, thankfully.

The next challenge is getting everyone properly trained via the UnFranchise training system and self-empowered enough to attain their own goals. I'll be in NYC next week for a set of Motives certifications for the newbie and for me to learn from our top custom blend retailer which I whole heartedly look forward to! Big Apple... here I come

Had Fun Applying Makeup On Models In NYC

2012-05-03T04:08:50Z

About a week ago, I wrote a really good post about my day at IBSnewyork and it didn't save to draft after a glitch so I've been trying to get into re-writing it. Here it is more than a week later and I guess because I wrote it so well last time, it left my train of thought and won't come back! LOL

I will say that it was great working with the Petruccelli and Interfashion team as makeup support for their stylists doing the stage show. I had never heard of them before but then I'm not a hair pro but have since become very fond of the Pibbs family brands. It's so different working the show versus going like I have for twenty years as a shopper and student for classes. It actually wore me out so bad that my legs were sore for at least 3 days! I'm admittedly spoiled working from home and setting my own hours.

Even when I am a vendor at smaller events for exposing my business locally, it's usually not so strenuous but I had no where to sit, except a quick lunch break. I really have to give all of the beauty pros tons of credit for doing that for three days straight... and as a career, standing all day as a service provider its gotta be tough on the body!

I did get to stock up some supplies at Morphie during a break and bought a few packets of disposables at half the price, an extra brush roll and had hoped to find a good makeup brush cleaner. Made the effort to walk the floor a bit to see what's happening and took photos on my cell that are on my FB page. I didn't have any time for classes or to meet up with a few people I truly wanted to connect with in person like Noreen Young, Gordon Miller and Kevin James Bennett and never made it to the Spa Show section either. The day just went by so fast, even though there was a lot of downtime for me waiting to do model touch ups.

There were a few beauty items I wanted to pick up but only got the flat iron from Turbo Power and should've grabbed that tool organizer too when I was checking it out. Needed to restock my Morroccan Oil products but then I also wanted to see the LaBraziliana version from the Pibbs brands and didn't get my butt over there although I watched there stage show most of the day since they were right behind us. And I had every intention of going back Monday or Tuesday but honestly couldn't get my legs going, they were so sore from working that first day, glad I wore flats! Embarrassing to say the least but I hope they invite me back next year, I'd definitely do it again, except then I'll be physically prepared and pack lighter.

Been done literally recouperating for a few days now and getting super busy with prospects, meetings and events that just seemed to have popped up out of no where?! I've had several people calling, texting and emailing me all at once a few days in a row. How come everything happens all at once? It can't just be me! That's okay, it's all good and I'll blame it on the approaching Super Moon energy coming this weekend. Ha!

Getting A Jump Start On Springtime Beauty Business

2012-04-17T16:05:47Z

Now that the Spring Vacation and Easter have passed, it's time to get back into the swing for work and doing some business building before the seminar at the end of this month with Carlos coming back to NY. My new team needs some UnFranchise training for them to learn the ropes and I have to get crackin' at accomplishing more for my own business to grow.

Last week I was invited by a local salon to help my Motives consultant who's a pro on staff there for a high school fashion club's show. It was fun but hectic since we expected a third makeup artist but she didn't show so we had to work on two dozen girls in less than 2 hours. Thankfully it all went well and we were able to prioritize who went on stage first to finish them early. Wish I could've gotten photos of their applications in costume for my portfolio but there was literally no time, at least the salon staff took a pic of me doing work which can be seen on my Facebook page.

Next weekend is the incredible hair show at Javitz in NYC, called the International Beauty Show or IBS for short. It's a beauty industry pro only event but I've been going as a shopper via the makeup artist registration for years and actually started going in high school while my girl friend got her "beauty culture" training and snagged me a ticket, think I've blogged about it before. She's a licensed cosmetologist and does mainly Nails these days to some long time clients at their homes. This will be the first time I'm working the show as a freelance MUA....and of course, there's no pay but working for the show sponsor will be great on my resume! And I will get a lot of leads.

I've always stuck with art so Makeup Artistry was a natural evolution for me, although there's currently no licensing for it, just certifications (which is a hot topic right now) and being an Esthetician for skin care doesn't thrill me so I remain a Retail Artist and Freelance while utilizing the Motives beauty brand as tool for clientele, those are my palettes in the photo above.

Makeup is my passion, I'm not into doing hair or skin care so I just can't work in a salon or spa but then I wouldn't want to rent a chair since it's so expensive and makeup artistry in a location like that requires a base salary. Why pay to be there unless you have a huge following of clients when the makeup pro is supposed to be retailing besides application. Both Estheticians and Cosmetologists only get between 3-5 hours of makeup training with their schooling which is a shame for all of those hours they put in. Specialty classes and workshops help those into makeup build skills and learn sanitizing practices usually done by beauty brands or makeup academies.

Speaking of makeup schools, I've heard TWO horrible stories recently about people getting ripped off for makeup training. One young aspiring artist signed on to a course offered by a supposed Master Makeup Artist with her own private certification and was shown how unprofessional and lazy some people can be with lateness and last minute class cancellations. She was also subjected to the trainer putting her down for being creative on lessons. The student's course took almost 3 months longer to complete due to a lack of classes too, talk about frustration!

Then there's a big stir in the Makeup Artist community over a school in the upper Midwest charging thousands for a course that doesn't have qualified trainers, uses inferior product or tools and gives newbies the impression they can be licensed upon completion when it's only a certification. If you are considering professional makeup training please do your homework and contact former students, read reviews on various sites like Yelp or just Google Maps and don't pay anymore than you would for an esthetics course and check their credentials with the Better Business Bureau!

Anyhow, like I wrote on Facebook, I'm getting excited and a bit nervous to do makeup at such a big show like IBS, at least I will be meeting some key beauty industry people. My skills are ready for it but my nerves aren't. I'm also very concerned about transporting my kit since I will have to commute by LIRR, if I drive in it will cost me too much money although Sunday won't be bad but Monday is a regular work day in NYC so it makes me worry. Hope I get to take in a class and meet up with some people that I know who are attending or lecturing. Watch my Twitter feed for photos and updates!

Motives Favorite: The Present by Scott Barnes Makeup Kit

2012-03-20T16:04:08Z

Even though I've been using and selling "The Present" since it debuted in 2010, I haven't posted photos with a review of the two makeup kits made for Motives by famous celebrity MUA Scott Barnes, creator of the luxurious Body Bling bronzer which is also available on the SHOP.com site.

Anyone in the makeup industry knows who Scott Barnes is, perhaps the general public knows him as Jennifer Lopez's favorite makeup artist and the creator of Body Bling bronzer. She graces the cover of his recent beauty book which I bought as soon as it came out. It's loaded with great makeup tips for creating classic celebrity looks and everyday techniques for a flawless application. I also subscribe to his YouTube videos to learn even more!

Everytime someone sees "The Present" that he designed exclusively for Loren Ridinger's cosmetic line people are amazed at the amount of product in there and how affordably priced it is too. The professional makeup artists that are fans of Scott Barnes are so impressed that he really put his name on it for our brand and love the glittery shadows that are right on top. Even my teen daughter was inquiring to who owns the one she saw that I left behind in the main bathroom one day.

It's a 5 layered compact of makeup with colors that flatter any complexion and a mirror in the lid for only $40! I will share some photos of the well-loved one I have from my own collection since I need to restock new ones. And I have to say that the box that the kit comes in is witty too with wording about living in the present.

If you ever need an all-in-one travel kit with product for a full face of makeup then this is the answer! Thank you Scott Barnes and Loren for an amazing beauty product. I hope to see more exclusives from Scott for Motives someday, I know they too will be hot items too.

Here's a cell photo that I took of a trainer from this past weekend's Motives UMO (University Motives Overview) showcasing the kit in front of the class with a slide on the screen that had everyone asking questions about it. I had tweeted the pic and Scott, himself, acknowledged it on Twitter! I do hope he and Motives collaborate further to expand on his product selection by coming out with some more pro quality cosmetics. That would be so cool.

Note: I will add swatches later...

UPDATE 4/17/12: Scott Barnes has announced a new book coming out called "Face To Face" with Kim Kardashian on the the cover, it's available for pre-order and due in September!

Thinking About Getting Into The Beauty Business?

2012-03-15T00:54:25Z

How serious are you about wanting to become a beauty professional or makeup artist? Did you explore ways of making it happen with beauty college or schooling? How about working at a brand name counter for one of the Department Stores as a Sales Clerk/ Beauty Consultant/ Makeup Artist? Personally, I didn't like any of those options.

For my own beauty ambitions, I was never thrilled with the expense or requirement of juggling a course for cosmetology or esthetician school with kids at home to manage. Nor did working a job that demands crazy hours and holidays like a retail beauty position would so I just studied everything about Motives, read a lot about the makeup industry, watched video tutorials, took occasional makeup classes and attended the major beauty industry events in my area.

Partnering with Motives was actually a side-effect of my husband's investment in Market America's automotive products for our shop which I naturally gravitated toward because I know that I should've taken Beauty Culture in my vocational high school but instead opted for Commercial Art since my major was art. I'd still like to own a salon or makeup studio like this one below (from a colleague's FB pic) ...someday.

Nowadays there are so many self-taught artists or beauty brand certified professionals in the field, and while some are not totally qualified skill-wise, I believe that many are proving themselves worthy of respect from the industry. And while hair and skin care require state licensing, makeup seems to be a gray area with certifications usually done by beauty brands or makeup academies or programs run by a Master Makeup Artist. Some MUA courses are wasteful ego trips by some self proclaimed expert, like the one I just heard about from a frustrated graduate while others have a gap for business networking, portfolio building or advanced training....it's kinda pot luck unless you really do your research by asking around and looking up reviews.

The great thing about Motives trainings is that they are always improving and setting a standard for everyone to expect. New videos just came out to help explain certain techniques by our in-house experts and the workshops and training manuals are being overhauled with even more business-building and techniques for application. There's absolutely no reason why a Motives certification and workshop series shouldn't give an aspiring Color Consultant the base for developing career skills to become a Makeup Artist, in my opinion. Implementation and practice are what makes an artist what they are over time because a piece of paper saying you went to a class doesn't amount to much unless that information is utilized and perfected in the real world.

As with any profession, ongoing education and developing skills is the key to success. I'm always learning and reading about the latest techniques and trends while striving to expand my knowledge base about the various products and tools out there. I may favor Motives since it's my main focus for residual income as a business but in no way do I limit myself from learning about other brands and products, except for my budget, and if it's not on the SHOP.com portal with cash back then it's obviously gotta be really special for me to purchase it otherwise. hehe

This week ends with the Motives for La La event on Friday and then the trainings on Sunday for a Motives UMO (University Major Overview) and Skincare 101 which I've been personally asked to contribute my knowledge and tips at while I'm there. Feels good to be recognized as a pro.

Check out this brand new video about becoming a Motives Makeup Artist!!!

Very Exciting Event This Week: Motives For La La Mineral Makeup 3/16

2012-03-12T17:54:19Z

This mild weather has me busy running around with some early Spring Fever and now that we lost an hour, it really feels like time is faster than normal! Getting ready for an expo is always hectic and exciting so getting recently invited to participate in the Motives Trainer of the Year's team beauty event for debuting Motives for La La here in New York has got me full of energy!

This coming Friday, March 16th, the night before St. Patty's Day, the Motives team is hosting a launch party for the new celebrity branded Motives mineral makeup line for La La Anthony. It's been a few months since I did any events but I was waiting for the right thing to present itself and to get some stock in of this new line and the Motives by Loren Ridinger Spring collection "Destination Beauty" too. Not many options have materialized so I was glad to get this invite! I have almost all of both lines with a few exceptions and back orders, this year everything is in high demand!

Tomorrow the latest edition of Latina Magazine hits store shelves with La La as the cover story!! She's wearing the new makeup made for the Latina and African American woman with an in-depth interview which I look forward to reading because I don't know much about her. She was a doll when I met her in Miami at the Motives Trainer class, she's very personable, modest and you can just tell that she's super savvy, she definitely has a smart business mind. Let me know if you pick up a copy too.

As my blog reader you're invited....March 16th, 2012 at a hall in Rockville Center, NY from 7pm-9pm

I've made an Eventbrite page for invitations so that we can be prepared for the amount of guests attending with our supplies and promotionals. It should be a ton of fun with Carlos in town, this will be the first time I get to work with him although I already have teamed up with his people. Please RSVP via the event page link above and check out Motives for La La and see what all the buzz is about!!

There's So Much Information To Absorb And New Marketing Tools To Implement

2012-02-21T20:01:39Z

You know this blog is all about my personal opinions and experiences while building my UnFranchise right? I'll admit that there were many slow days when I really should do more for myself in the real world, other than via the internet and social media platforms. That's the problem with working for yourself and being your own boss. It's a reality that this is a One-to-One company and it works best with people as customers, online shoppers, prospects and ultimately business partners. My tendency to be an introvert doesn't help any but this latest conference in Miami has created so much great publicity and energy that it's hard 'not' to be busy sharing the information with people, face-to-face!

I've been seeing so many corporate and team emails and posts about videos, photos, blog posts and news clips that I just can't view them all. I try... but then I'll be bug-eyed after a while and it's bad enough that I'm still replaying the audios from the Miami conference just to help retain some of the updates told to the field by corporate trainers, successful distributors and health professionals for both business building and marketing product. And I hear there are video links available now too, besides the YouTube clips!

Technically, there are so many great tools in development to create a better social shopping experience and make sure that everyone gets the best Hot Deal and Cash Back for whatever it is they are looking for at whichever merchant in the Partner Store program. I'm glad that they will phase out the shopping on MarketAmerica.com instead of dropping it and importing everyone to SHOP.com but it's a process that I'm looking forward to. Then MA will just be for business development and Shop.com will be our face to consumers, hence the new slogan "SHOP.COM powered by Market America". Another new app will be "Shop Buddy" which is like a floating notification on the sidebar ready to help point out those savings which is similar to a Google Chrome Extension that was on my browser called "Shopaholic" and I didn't even know how it got there but I had to install it somehow, just not remembering.

There were also some much needed technical updates will improve Comparison Shopping Results too which are still in development along with more features like Trend Shop and eGifts being expanded to include the Market America brands and select direct partners. And the announcements of MA|SHOP.com launching in the UK March 1st and Mexico by June 2012 to much applause, it's been a long process for that expansion to materialize. I saw photos of meetings going on already to pre-qualify distributors and publicize the UnFranchise system. (I can pull up a webinar if you'd like to see the info just send me an email)

Of course, I'm super excited about the new makeup but a few of the nutritionals caught my eye too. I already have the new intenseFX Quick Release Energy Tabs targeting the Generation Y crowd and Astaxanthin supplement for heart and vision health.

And I just have to say that I absolutely **LOVE** the intenseFX energy tablets!!! Just pop one out of the blister pack and let it dissolve in your mouth to get a nice boost and feel like you are awake after a good nap. The energy release wasn't a noticeable caffeine rush for me but a gradual feeling that my eyes weren't tired and my head wasn't sleepy anymore. I need to buy a few intenseFX packs and keep them with my "never-run-out-of-stock" list like Ultimate Aloe, Mochatonix, Probiotics/Digestive Enzymes and OPC-3!

Both my husband (a 5 Hr Energy & RedBull fan) and I took one dose each half way through a 4 hour drive and perked right up, which was great because a Bobcat dashed right in front of our vehicle within 4 or 5 feet of our bumper on a highway! Even my 25 yr old son (a Monster drink fan) took one tab before one of his pro-gamer matches and came charging upstairs from his apartment all pumped from winning and felt like he had an edge by using the new tablet. The price is great too, only $5 for six tablets versus $5 for one can of energy drink or a 5 pack of blister packs for $20....and intenseFX tastes like berry candy and has NO after taste or burping!!

The new Motives Spring collection "Destination Beauty" just arrived today and it's a gorgeous set of colors with new creme blush and felt tip eye liners from a new manufacturer which I'll post about later after I check it out and swatch the colors. I still have to get the new ethnic line by La La but it takes some time, money and event planning to make it pay for itself and the new postcard invites will be a big help for launching that.