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Life Updates! – In and Out of Hotels and No Toilets in my Home *gasp*

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What I have just stated is far from the beautiful things that I post on this blog but I post it because even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, lessons were learned and it gave way to new thoughts and things I never really considered before.  We might still have to spend another night or two outside our home in the next week or so, but for the most part, the worst is over.

I am human and things I don’t want to happen, happen.  Just because I have a blog or all looks rosy with whatever nice things I post here regarding my online hustle with Origami Owl, it does not mean that I am free from the realities and frustrations of life.

Let it be known that I am very grateful that my recent life setbacks had nothing to do with health problems, sickness or death.  (I did have a cancer scare months ago but I’ll share that a different time.) Our life situation had to do with an overflowing washer that caused damage to half of our home and the things below it.  We have a small home (thanks Southern CA prices), so when water damage takes up half of it, that’s a lot of loss!  The water damage affected both bathrooms, the laundry area that held the washing machine, the hallway, and our master bedroom and its master bath.  The other bedroom that did not get affected became the storage room for all the items that were once in the affected area, including my king size bed, stored with many things way up high to the ceiling!

November 5, 2018, was the first time we checked in to a hotel and January 24, 2019, was our most recent checkout.  We have been living in and out of hotels and since November, we have been going through the process of getting our home back to normal.  In addition to not having our home, there were hurdles and pushback/fights with our insurance and our HOA along the way. I got to choose all my flooring and turned in a paper color sample for paint I would like, back in December, but none of the fun stuff was to happen until more than a month later. We were in and out of hotels because our insurance living allowance was being depleted at a burn rate way faster than the timeline of repairs and completion. For those who care for all the details, I have shared lots of this on my Instagram highlights at @jennylouraya.

By mid-December, we spent nights and weeks in our unlivable and under construction home with no flooring and no toilets to save remaining funds for when we really needed to have a room (such as the days when even the showers could not use accessed due to the flooring process). We used public bathrooms and HOA shared facilities.  It was an eye-opening experience and one I would not wish on others. I even had the president of the HOA yell at me for using the HOA facilities that one time he caught me using the men’s bathroom. I was using the men’s bathroom because the women’s had been clogged for days and NO, I am not unclogging it for them.

Despite the stresses and some tears, we made the most out of our living situation.  I carried on with my Origami Owl work of posting online and serving my customers with their holiday orders.  I had record sales in December.  I even had a customer shop my stock at a hotel conference room and sold $200+ in jewelry in an hour.  Homeschooling in and out of hotels made it really hard to be consistent but the daily breakfast buffets and housekeeping made things better.  The kids definitely loved that.  We also learned that we need very little space and things to live on and have even decided to “Konmari” our home when all the rebuilding is done.

Now, on to the better days…..

This past Saturday, January 26, our new floors were finished. Yesterday, my new toilet was put in.  But what really got me excited that there is nothing but sunshine up ahead was the arrival of my new paint! Painting is scheduled to start today and if all goes to plan, the yellowish khaki mustard from the previous owners of this home will be gone and I will be surrounded by the color Shiplap – a Magnolia Home Premium paint by Joanna Gaines. When the paint is done in a couple of days, carpeting will follow and the newly painted doors and baseboards will be installed. When this company is done with their part, I will be diving into some DIY while still staying true to our existing goals and incorporating the new lessons we have learned during this process.

The many days living in hotels gave me some time to watch TV.  Initially, I was watching a lot of forensic files but later weeks, I was all about the HGTV. Property Brothers became my favorite show and I just kept thinking of all the possibilities in my home. I now actually have less interest in moving out of our little home as I have seen through HGTV episodes what paint and remodeling can do to any space.  We also watched the Tyding Up series on Netflix while in a hotel suite and saw how getting rid of things we don’t love can make such a difference in the space we already have.  We learned that we actually need very little to live on and that is a great thing.

If you would like to follow us on our journey of rebuilding home, tidying DIY, and doing with less (and still continuing our journey to paying off our home and be completely 100% debt free), follow me on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jennylouraya/

 

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It’s a been a pretty quiet, gloomy Monday. Homeschooling in full effect and my project manager arrives with paint! I showed him a paper sample of Shiplap by @magnolia months ago. He had said then that they normally use a particular paint company, so I wasn’t expecting what arrived today! I’m truly happy and ecstatic that the paint is finally here (this process started early November) but even more than that, it’s the actual Magnolia Home line AND it goes with my flooring (I did not have a tile sample on hand when we were going over paint colors). Now I feel like I should buy her book. Confession: I’ve never seen an episode of Fixer-upper by @joannagaines and @chipgaines until last week sitting in my hotel room because our place was a true fixer upper with no toilets and showers. Hello @joannagaines and @chipgaines ? Now, we are forever linked ?. . . . . . #magnoliahome #fixerupper #magnolia #farmhouse #farmhousestyle #homedecor #fixerupperstyle #farmhousedecor #interiordesign #joannagaines #hgtv #modernfarmhouse #magnoliamarket #shiplap #sandiegohome #bhghome #hearthandhand #home #shiplap #sandiego #acehardware #betterhomesandgardens #decor #timbertiles #flooring #diy #chipandjoannagaines #homedesign #farmhouse #sandiegofamily #paint

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Reflecting on my Years + How You Make a Difference

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It’s my 5 YEAR Anniversary with Origami Owl!
 
Dearest friends and to my clients near and far,
 
For 5 years, you may have watched from the sidelines or have even helped me along the way with our Origami Owl business. This business has been a blessing to our family. When I started 5 years ago, today, I had no clue where this “locket thing” would take me. I just bought a kit on January 19, 2012, and said, “Let’s see where this goes.”
 
I paid attention and it was definitely more than hubby and I could imagine. It paid us back. We were able to pay the bills, purchase and pay off our van, pay off the other car, pay off all our credit cards, the business was the #1 factor in the approval and purchase of our home, be a tourist in our hometown of San Diego, and eat ungodly amounts of food! All the while allowing me time to be home with the kids and homeschool them.
 
We’ve been fortunate, to say the least. 2018 brings us challenges but also the opportunity to achieve even more and new goals. At first, new goals were not even on my radar with a growing baby in the belly, the studies of my kids requiring more from me as their teacher, and with a recent and drastic change in hubby’s work that had me shed more than a few tears, we remain hopeful for what is to come. With all this and a clear path in our finances to allocate every single penny that comes in our home to be used wisely, within biblical principles and in God’s ministries (that means no waste and only needs from here on out), the tears turned to light and things that looked impossible actually has turned our eyes into seeing even more blessings in everything – literally, everything! Even with the hurdles before us, the year unfolding, hitting 5 years with Origami Owl, the dates to achieve goals getting closer, the promise of possibilities – not impossibilities – get more real and I feel like more is still achievable.
 
There are trips to be earned with Origami Owl. In 2015, hubby and I earned an Origami Owl all-expense paid trip for Leaders to the beaches in Naples, Florida. Trips or no trips, this is something we do to help ends meet.  Every penny is used wisely for our family and outside our 4 walls.
To be able to continue doing so, here is what you can do to help:
 
I. Consider purchasing a personalized item from me for the next birthday, holiday, Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day or graduation.  Every locket helps and every smile from receiving a locket never hurt either.
 
II. Ever thought about starting your own locket business or have a young budding entrepreneur 11 and older? I’d love to share the opportunity with you! It isn’t rocket science nor a mystery on how Origami Owl works. It is sales but along with that, they also get to learn the value and the ability to make and handle the money they earn.
 
III. Refer to me! Have friends, family, church groups, band or sports groups looking to do a fundraiser or to earn extra money? In our 5 years, we have donated thousands we have earned ourselves back into local groups and in 2016 alone, Origami Owl has donated over $1million to organizations and individual families in need. You can see some of the stories at LiveSparkly.com. I would love to do more of this with you.
 
Thank you so much for your support! And if you read all the way to here, extra blessings to you. We truly appreciate you and looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2018!
 
Jer 29:11-13, Matt 6:33
<3 Jennylou + Raya Family

How to Pack for Origami Owl’s 1st Annual Convention #O2NationalConvention

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BEFORE:

aqua blue bathing suit and slippers
aqua blue bathing suit with green slippers

The above was only half the stuff I need to bring to convention. I definitely needed to figure out a better way to pack if, especially, if I did not want to pay for luggage fees.

 

Origami Owl fashion Inspired watches
These are my 2 watches from Styles for Less. At least one or both of these will coordinate with an outfit in this bag.

I quickly realized that time was running out and I needed to get packing.  I turned to my FB friends for some help and it turned out that many were professional packers and told me how to go about packing for #o2nationalconvention.

Then I took to packing and shared the picture with the O2 Convention Group of Ladies. It was received well and I thought I would make a video too.  So, here it is:

Below is the final result of what my luggage looked like after everything was rolled.  There was still room to spare even after adding my Gala dress and White Out outfit!

AFTER:

 

Packing for Origami Owl Convention
Everyone is right, you fit a lot more by rolling the clothes! In my carry on luggage: 3 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 tees, 2 tops, 2 slacks, 2 dresses, necessities, beauty essentials, a bolero, sweater, and bathing suit =)

Give rolling clothes a shot and see how much you can fit in your luggage to #O2NationalConvention =)

See you soon!

You Received Your Origami Owl DIW Invite, Now What?

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No Origami Owl DIW saw it coming, but it came.  Here it is.  And it says…..

“Congratulations! Your time has come! You are just a few moments away from beginning your new career with Origami Owl as a full-fledged Designer!…”

 

What will you do?

A.  You can read further and click on the link to sign up now and no longer be an Origami Owl DIW, or

B. You can let it pass you by.  You may even choose to delete the email. If still unsure, you can even archive the email. Maybe even request to be in front of the line in a future wave.

Either way, you will be making a choice. A decision to join or a decision not to join.

Let’s assume, you’ve chosen to proceed and be an Independent Designer.

You have another choice to make, if you have not already: Choosing a Mentor.

For most people, this is easy.  They have had a Mentor in mind (for several months now, actually), they have their Mentor’s ID# tattooed to their brain and ready to enter the split second that Designer Application Form arrives.
But many, have no clue who their Mentor will be, where or how to choose, or what to even look for if they were not to let the system randomly choose a Mentor for them.

Your Mentor can be any current Independent Designer with Origami Owl.  This person can be a full-time seasoned Independent Designer, the girl next door who does it casually, a newbie just like you, or anything in between.  There is no wrong or right answer in what your Mentor can be with Origami Owl but you probably know better than anyone else what a good Mentor is for you.  You can choose a Mentor or Origami Owl will choose one for you.  Choice is powerful, you have it, make it.  Regardless who chooses, the Mentor is yours to keep forever.  Tell fate to step aside and you do the choosing on this one.

 

LocketsNcharms Banner Jennylou Raya 1186

 

Here is what I recommend for those with invites and not have a Mentor in mind:

Search for a Mentor.  You may ask your grapevine, scope out your neighborhood, search online, or contact OrigamiOwl.com for some help in finding you someone local.  If you received your email today, you have until June 22, 2013 to decide on a Mentor.

Take a look at my recommendations on how to go about this in my links below.

Then, once you have a picture of your desired Mentor, interview some of them.  You have the right to know what and who you are coming in with.  It is permanent and its effects can be lasting.  Meet with them, phone interview them, email back and forth.  Hint: Technology is a great tool to help in finding the right mentor for you.  Don’t let the websites or the number of their FB friends be the ultimate decision maker.  Some of the best in the company is nowhere to be found online.  It ultimately comes down to, who would you like to work with day in a day out?  I recommend personality first, everything else is second.

Third, find out what they will do for you after you sign up with them.  Will you ever hear from them again?  Do they have plans for you to grow and to help you in your first baby steps?  Are they reachable, are they approachable, do they have the heart of a teacher?  Think on these things.

With these three things, you can be an Origami Owl DIW who makes a well-inofrmed decision. Lastly, let your desired Mentor know that you are interested in joining with them.  Get plugged in to his or her Origami Owl life and knowledge.  Glean all you can, utilize his or her knowledge and resources she has gathered during her path with Origami Owl.  A great Mentor is always willing to share and want more for your growth than she wants for herself.  May you find your beloved Mentor and I wish you the very best with Origami Owl. There are over 25,000 amazing Independent Designers you can sign up with.  How will you choose?

 

Sincerely,

Jennylou Raya, Mentor & Independent Designer #1186

 

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Feel free to read up on past posts on Mentorship and my life as an Origami Owl Mentor:

http://www.locketsandcharms.com/what-is-a-mentor-and-how-do-i-choose-one-for-my-origami-owl-independent-designer-business/

http://www.locketsandcharms.com/how-can-i-join-you-in-origami-owl-and-become-an-independent-designer-with-jennylou/

http://www.locketsandcharms.com/meet-origami-owl-independent-designer-jennylou…

http://www.locketsandcharms.com/what-does-jennylou-raya-origami-owl-independent-designer-do-for-her-team/

 

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Interested in becoming a part of Origami Owl?  Sign up on the Waitlist at http://locketsandcharms.origamiowl.com/join/how-it-works/

Of course, the waitlist is the only the beginning.  Connect with your Mentor or if you do not have one, check out http://youtube.com/locketsNcharms to learn more about me and the kinds of things I do with my team one one one.

I Have Been Poached! Should I Try Out Another Company While I Wait?

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Having this blog site up for almost a year now, I have learned and have gotten to know who many of my readers are.  Some are customers, even more are fellow designers, most are DIWs (designers in waiting) and a fast growing number of my readers are Poachers.  Poachers are those that come to a competitor’s terrain, such as to this blog and various sites, to drop in on me, my readers, and commentators and fulfill their desires with an alternative such as their company’s products or say to them, “Why not join my ________, there’s no waitlist.”

Uhm… I say to you “Why is there no waitlist? Because the demand for yours is not as high…. and… why are you on my personal Origami Owl blog? Please make your own avenue to promote your business.”

Anyway….the question of “Should I Try Out Another Company While I Wait?”

My opinion is NO.  Why not join the others?  This industry is all about serving the desires and need for a particular product.  A DIW who has a market waiting for her to be an active Independent Designer for Origami Owl but goes and does another, that DIW would not be filling the customer’s desire for an Origami Owl Custom Jewelry.  You can fulfill their desire for a locket with the help of your future Mentor.  They want an Origami Owl locket, not just another locket or custom jewelry of another company.  If they wanted something else, they can just go to Etsy or the many sites that sell something similar. Do not provide your circles and possibly only market an orange for an apple. Not even a granny apple if they want a red apple.  You provide them something else, chances are, you will never hear from them again because you were not hearing what they were asking from you from the beginning.

I am honest with people I interact with that there are alternatives out there – have been for many years online and many more will come – but it is Origami Owl that have brought it in to the popular and mainstream with their amazing products and amazing look and quality above the rest. An Origami Owl locket is what they want.  Get your Mentor and get it to them!  Not only is Origami Owl the best in everything when it comes to product offerings, Origami Owl has amazing marketing know-how too that brings customers and new Designers (for now, DIWs) to the company, bringing on greater demand to you to build your business while other company’s reps succumb themselves to the most undesirable tactic to promote business: poaching.

You know that something good is going on here at Origami Owl when our Independent Designers don’t have to go to the reps of other companies to poach their people.  These poaching tactics have worked on so many DIWs I will just say this: I hope you made the best decision for you. I am all for your success and I want you to experience it too.

As someone who has been with Origami Owl from the very beginning (I was one of the first 200 reps).  It IS nice being one of the first “Founders” of Origami Owl. It is even nicer knowing that I have grown along with so many others here because the company brings me and everyone else people to join our team.  Bella and The Nest have no need to poach on the reps of other jewelry companies with letters of their so called empathy written all over it, highlighting the growing pains and how they are so much better.  I know what I am talking about as I have experienced it myself as a co-founder and owner of “new companies” have done it to me, my team and DIWs, and several others in the company.

To those getting these letters: think. Think about your real intentions, your real goals and your real desired results with Origami Owl, and act accordingly.

I am all for everyone finding what path is right for them  I tell my team, “If Origami Owl is not for you, please set yourself free and find your real dreams just as I have found mine here.”  If you are not sure if Origami Owl is for you and have nothing to lose, feel free to try other things out.  But if you are thinking of definitely coming back to Origami Owl when you receive your invite, I highly suggest to skip the trying it out phase, or doing another company, while you are on the waiting list.  Why?  Because innocently trying things out is costly to you and your intended future Origami Owl business.

Don’t do the temporary switcharoos as many as I have been seeing from many DIWs. You are shooting yourself in the foot, killing your future Origami Owl business as you you lose face with those around you, if you have not already. You excitedly told everyone around you and their friends that you are so excited to start your Origami Owl business and a week later, they receive a this Facebook Page invite to your “not Origami Owl Page” cognitive dissonance at its best.  Even worse, months later, they receive another invite, this time, to “Like” your Origami Owl Facebook page.

The other companies want you to “try it out” because of one truth: Their written letter stating they “hope you try it out, even if while just on the waitlist with no strings attached” is written with the pure intent that you stay with them permanently.  Duh! And there is nothing wrong with that.  They want a decent paycheck too but do know that it isn’t just so you can try it out, and you can leave just as easily, if you don’t like their company after all.

Admit it or not, you will be “stuck” one way of another just as they had hoped:

1. You have confused and lost credibility with your previous and intended Origami Owl market by having “tried” something else out.  You can’t just grow a new market or new circles as easily as you lost one.

2. You feel obligated to stay with the new team reps and customers you have led into another company using the same tactic used with you – the “try it out” method of the company.

3. You like the vanity title of “Founding” rep, member, etc… and want to keep it even if you know you could be selling so much more as an Origami Owl Independent Designer.

What is a public title if nothing in your personal bank account reflects it anyway?

This is a case where the saying “There’s no harm in trying it out” does not apply. Even if you really wanted to go do Origami Owl after trying “it” out, your market may or may not forget the little stint you pulled on them for a short while. Innocently “trying it out” may end up crippling your original plan and much bigger path.  The trying out you just did may have pushed them to another Origami Owl Independent Designer and keeping you from building a strong Origami Owl business and wish you had just stayed the course.

So what to do? I suggest, instead of trying something else out, why not start building you Origami Owl business now instead of later?  Check out my blog Archives to read up on the many ways to start buidling you business today or watch my YouTube videos for endless ideas!

DIWs, may you make the best choices for you today.  Wherever you may go, may you serve others by offering them what they desire. I wish you the best in finding your vehicle to reach your dreams. I have with Origami Owl and I wish the same for you.

All is worth the wait.  I promise.

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