Did You Know?

Aflac is the leading supplemental insurance provider in the world - a Fortune 500 Company - and a supremely Ethical company.

Aflac provides 1/4 of all Japanese households with supplemental insurance. I didn't even know that Aflac was in Japan before I started with them.

Dan Amos, Aflac's CEO and chairman, was recently named Most Respected Businessman by Georgia Trend.

"Amos is not an ordinary insurance man. This is the CEO and chairman of Aflac, the Fortune 500 Columbus firm that has set a standard for workplace satisfaction and ethical practices. This is the guy who runs the largest supplemental insurance seller in the world. This is the guy who fostered the duck. ...

In truth, Amos is one of the most respected business leaders in the country, recognized on different fronts for the way he balances business and social responsibilities, and it’s reflected in the way Aflac wins recognition year after year.


This year Amos was named to Institutional Investor magazine’s list of “Best CEOs in America” for the fifth time (best in the insurance sector two years running).

Fortune magazine has ranked Aflac one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for 12 straight years (and ranked Aflac No. 1 on its global list of “Most Admired Companies” in the life and health insurance category). Forbes magazine has given Aflac the nod as “America’s Best-Managed Company” (insurance category)."

I love the Duck. =) But I also love that I now work for a company with heart.

Did you know that since 1955 Aflac has never raised a policy holder's premium? How many insurance companies can say that? None. If you bought a cancer policy in 1955, and never changed to a newer policy, you are still paying that same rate. (Of course, your benefits are going to be the same too...but the point is that the rate has never gone up.)

"Under Amos’s guidance, the company that was a pioneer in the cancer insurance industry has anted up more than $50 million to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.


The company also supports the Child Life Therapy Program at the Morrell Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders in the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center (New York), and has established the Aflac Fund for Childhood Cancer Patients and Families at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The sale of stuffed toy ducks in Japan has raised more than $12 million to support parent housing near cancer centers in that country. "

While this job is all new to me and it's so far been a little bumpy, I am very happy to be able to represent an honest and ethical company. I'm not ashamed to say that I work for Aflac - QUACK!!!

Reward Customers and Keep Your Name Out There

One of my new BNI friends is Joe with Site Impressions. So far I've collected several of his promotional items and let me tell you, they are awesome! I now have a couple of pens, a glasses cleaner (those soft cloth ones), spray antibacterial, a keychain, and even a portable plastic vase.

What do they all have in common?

Each and every item has his business name on it and they are all useful items that I WILL use (and am using!).

A great way to remind customers about you is to send them something they can keep and use. I like to send pens (I'm a total pen hog) for Casto Creations that have my business name on them. They're useful and remind people that I'm around if they need me.

Promotional items do not have to cost a lot - even when personalized. From pens to candy and even more off the wall things like promotional Gumball Machines, anything you can think of - Site Impressions can customize!

People love free goodies, so if you do spend money on personalized items be picky about when to hand them out. If you get something a little higher end hold a contest for it instead of just handing it out - and collect e-mails at the same time.

I'm a huge fan of promo items - luckily Aflac has a TON ... so I have to watch my own budget so I don't go overboard. :)

My Apologies!

I want to apologize to some of my favorite online friends...with all the crazy training, setting meetings, calling businesses, and trying to make a new living I have hardly had time to think about anything other than breathing. Marshal's drawers are super empty...all his clothes are on the dining table! Sheesh.

My goal is to someday get the hang of all this and be able to manage my time and include my favorite blogs back in my schedule, but right now it's all about learning and trying to help businesses protect their employees. So many business owners think that Aflac is major medical insurance - or car insurance. :)

The marketing department did such a great job with the duck. Everyone knows the Duck! Unfortunately, the duck isn't what Aflac does. :) Aflac is supplemental insurance that has nothing to do with Major Medical insurance, and there's no car or home policies offered.

So when I call businesses some are immediately on defense - and I don't blame them. If I don't do my job then they think I'm trying to sell them something. Actually I don't sell anything to businesses and that's a tough thing to get past.

Did you know that if you sign up for an Aflac policy through your job you OWN it - it's all yours. And you can take it with you if you leave your job. This is a big deal because one of the policies we offer is Short Term Disability. Unfortunately you can't buy this policy directly - only through a group (your employer). So I'm out of luck because they didn't offer it as an option when I was signing up for my policies at my last job. Grrr!

Aflac also has Vision policies - but these also can't be purchased on a direct basis, only through a group sign up.

Thankfully the rest of the policies can be signed up on an individual basis and they're a lot more affordable than most people realize. Some policies start as low as $2 a week! Considering how outrageous insurance costs, and when you consider that health insurance policies are meant to pay the doctors, Aflac policies are a great deal. They pay YOU directly! Above and beyond any major medical coverage.

Anyway...things are so crazy trying to learn all of the policies. :) Not to mention my little man and his craziness. He's started pulling himself up to stand!!!!!

We are in SO much trouble! =D

Whine or Wine?

Why not do both? Since joining the local BNI group I've met some great business people, including Stacy Brazington with Fine Wines at Home. She is super nice and is a personal wine consultant. I don't drink, but I may actually have a Wine party and if she can find me one that is nice and sweet I may start incorporating wine into my diet.

Why?

Well, wine is actually fairly good for you in moderation. Stacy shared some information about how wine can benefit your health, and even your waist line!

1. Feed your head - apparently wine can help with preserving your memory. And I need that! I have such a horrible memory, it's scary. "When researchers gave memory quizes to women in their 70s, those who drank one or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all."

2. Keep the scale in your corner - apparently those who drink wine daily have lower body masses than those who only have an occasional drink. Moderate wine drinkers have "narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink liquor." I should tell my hubby that - he likes his liquor.

3. Boost your body's defenses...Live Longer! - According to a British study, those who drank around a glass of wine a day reduced their risk of infection of the ulcer causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori by 11%. Even half a glass may reduce your risk of food poisoning!

4. Guard against ovarian woes - some Australian researchers compared wo men with ovarian cancer to cancer-free women and found that one glass of wine a day seemed to reduce the risk of the disease by "as much as 50 percent." Another study at the University of Hawaii came up with similar results.

5. Build better bones - women who drink moderately appear to have higher bone mass than abstainers and alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels.

6. Prevent blood sugar trouble - maybe this would have helped me with my gestational diabetes. It's generally okay to have a small glass of wine when you're pregnant. :) A Harvard study found that premenopausal women who drink one or two glasses of wine are 40% less likely to develope type 2 Diabetes than women who didn't.

7. Increase your "good cholesterol" level - A 1998 Finish study found that moderate drinking can reduce concentrations of lipoprotein in the blood, leading to fewer fat deposits in blood vessels.

So there you have it! Wine is good for you - in moderation of course. Now if I can find one that tastes like grape juice I'll be thrilled. And I'm curious to know if red grape juice gives some similar benefits. I know it's the red wines that have the great antibodies that are supposed to be so good for you.

If you're in Washington, head on over to Stacy's website and see about hosting a Wine Party at home. :)

Excerpts above from Debra Gordon, Health Magazine.

I was NOT paid or compensated in any way for this post. :) Just me and my opinions for the heck of it.

Yee Haw! I Lasted 20 Seconds!

Last Friday I headed on out to a hoe down...technically a Barnyard Bash. It was an awards "ceremony" for Aflac and even though I hadn't even been there a week yet I sort of had to go. I'm glad I did...and even more glad we didn't stay a long time.

Somehow I got roped in (hahaha, get it!) to competing in the Hillbilly Olympics, as the female bull rider for our team. Each team had to have a woman and a man...and I was the lucky gal in jeans who wasn't pregnant or having back problems.

You know that you actually have to sign a WAVER to ride a mechanical bull!?! I was a little worried because my neck occasionally gives me problems but I did it anyway. I'm officially part of the team after this little display! =)

Crazy right? lol I have NO idea how I lasted 20 seconds, but that was more than any of the men on any of the teams lasted. There was one other woman who went 20 seconds as well so we had to have a ride-off. Yeah, I lost badly. My legs were shaking, I felt ill, and just walking on that bouncy stuff is exhausting.

Getting on those bulls is hard too...the first time I was like a beached whale, but the for the ride-off I was much more graceful. Didn't help my riding much. =)

There's ONE little rope you hold on to and it is brutal. The other gal's skin got ripped off on her finger and I had several red marks on my hand. It's not easy.

Increase Your Business - Join a Network Referral Group

One thing that can be a challenge, among the many challenges, as a small business is finding customers. Online sites like Etsy helps average everyday folks like me sell to people across the country, but sometimes that stops me from seeing the opportunities in my own back yard.

Recently I was invited to a visitor's day to BNI, a networking group that has charters all around the world. A local group was just chartered last week and I had such a great time that I applied to be part of it - and was accepted!

The great thing about groups like BNI, they only allow one of each profession as a representative in each group. So, in my new group, I am the only Aflac representative. There is only one auto mechanic, one roofer, one Mary Kay consultant, etc. Some networking groups end up being a bunch of Avon ladies, Pampered Chef sales people, or Partylite Consultants (not that there's ANYTHING wrong with these, but when that's all there is it's a little harder to have a functional group) but BNI is much more oriented toward brick and mortar businesses.

Something there aren't a lot of, at least in this local group, is independent artisans. But it seems to me that it would be a fabulous opportunity for people who design and create for a living. The whole purpose of BNI groups is to help one another grow business through referrals.

And it's not some loose group of people getting together every week - it's quite structured and there are certain rules, as well as an annual membership fee, that are required. I love this!

The energy in my new group is contagious! I hope that it will be a huge boon to my new business and I am excited to provide referrals to the other members' businesses as well. If you're looking for a BNI group in your area head over to their website - they are all over the world. Remember, if you join as a jeweler - you will be the only jewelery allowed in the group!

Training, Training, Training

Monday and Tuesday were training days for me...away from home. Poor hubby had to be responsible for our boy Monday night and Tuesday morning, but really he gets off pretty easy. My mother in law came over Tuesday morning to get Marshal ready for the nanny and then the nanny came over to pick him up for the day. Basically hubby just had to get him on Monday, feed him, clothe/change him, and put him to bed.

But it's still kind of a big deal because I've never been away from my son overnight. I'm actually SURPRISED by how much I missed him - even trying to get him to bed at night. Sure, I got to sleep in with no crying and no dog jumping up on the bed. But it wasn't all that great. I actually got food poisoning Monday night so my night and Tuesday morning were pretty lame. I did feel a little better thankfully by the time my class started on Tuesday.

There is SO much to learn. It's exhausting and overwhelming. And kind of scary. Will I be able to do this? Will I be able to convey this information to others and share what I'm learning in a way that will help them see the value of Aflac in their lives? I've known the valu of Aflac in our lives for 8 years, but even I wasn't aware of some of the awesome products they offer that I actually need to sign up for.

I need to sign us up for the Hospital Protection plan in the next week or two. And I'm hoping to get my little brother signed up for the Cancer policy - he needs it. We have a history of cancer in our family and since he's under 30 his rates will be way lower than if he waits a few years.

I wish young folks thought more about their future - I know I did. I signed up for the Accident Policy when I was in my early 20s. My rates are just about as low as they can get for the policies we have. Age 35 is the cutoff for rate increases.

How do I help others protect themselves and their families and their assets...without sounding like a dorky sales person?

Jewelry Party!

I'm so excited!!! I'm going to be having two ladies over to my house in a couple of weeks and we're going to make jewelry. I'm SO jazzed because I have so much jewelry I want to make...and so many supplies that it'll be nice to share them with others. :)

I'll have to try to take lots of pictures. There might be wine (for them, not me...I'm not a big drinker) so it should be really fun. hee hee

Whether I make anything that ends up in my Etsy shop is debateable...I'm guessing anything I make will be for me and my new business wardrobe.

I've never had a jewelry "party" before. Hubby will be in charge of the boy and the girls are going to play!!!

Hidden Gems

While over at my mother's house the other day I went on back to my old room to snoop see if I'd left anything. :) My mom is overcoming pack-rat-itis and going through things to give to Goodwill and to sell at our neighborhood garage sale in June.

I found a nice sized basket to use to put Marshal's toys in (we're finally accumulating a nice amount) and some things she had to see and not give away but sell at the garage sale (some gorgeous tiny Japanese plates...like the kind they put soy sauce in for dipping...they are from our trip to Japan years ago)...and right before I was going to leave I spied a mostly empty clear storage container that had something bright and colorful in it. It almost looked like...BEADS!

And sure enough. VINTAGE beads no less. They were my great grandmothers (aka Granny) and while they probably have no monetary value, they do have memories attached. I can totally see my great grandma wearing these when they were strung. I've started going through them and finding the ones I think I can use in my own designs. There are some really beautiful ones in great condition.

There are some funky beaded earrings and then this set that looks like resin with lots of sparkles in it. She only wore clip earrings.

She was such a great lady. Living through the Great Depression (and what was so great about it again?) gave her some fascinating stories and funny quirks. I wish I could find my old high school report where I interviewed her and my two grandmas about their experiences. My Granny still had her grocery logs showing how much she paid for things like eggs and milk!!! Talk about a pack rat. We obviously come by it naturally.

Both her and my grandma (her daughter) talked about how sugar and marshmallows were rationed so it was always a treat to get them. And how they weren't allowed to turn lights on at night and if they drove they had to do it without lights or with the lights covered up except for a small slit.

They had Japanese neighbors who they used to trade food stuff with, but when WWII started they were afraid to eat anything their neighbors had - in case it was poisoned. I don't blame them, but it would have really sucked to be Japanese-American. One day they came and took the family to the intern camps (we had several in this area) and they never did come back - their land/home was sold. :(

My other grandma was a Rosie the Riveter with Boeing. Her husband at the time, my paternal grandfather, was in the Navy and she was home with two (I think...she had four total eventually) kids. She was essentially a single working mother.

I love history and it's amazing how something as simple as beads can link us back to our past.

Knowing Myself

Starting a new career is definitely scary. It was nice to sort of ease into it the last few months but even with that lead in time the last week was stressful and nerve wracking.

Can I do this? My esteem certainly has gotten hit several times. I get frustrated when I screw something up. There's a lot to remember including certain phrases to say and ones not to say.

I know that one of my issues is that I get really excited. After all, I wouldn't be working for Aflac if I wasn't a huge fan of their services and believe in what the company offers. So when someone says that they've had agents contact them and they aren't interested, my instict is to ask "Really? Why not?" lol And that doesn't work.

So trying to tamp back that instinct is something I have to work on.

Cold calling is definitely not fun and I promise to be nice to people who call me from now on. *grin* I can't even imagine how lame it is to call people when you're working for minimum wage and selling something you aren't passionate about. I love Aflac and am doing this because I want to (because if we tried we could live on one income) and getting rejected is tough. Especially when someone is rude about it.

Several folks have been really nice about it and that does make it easier to hear "no".

This whole thing is requires a HUGE learning curve for me. Things used to come a lot easier to me but my memory just seems like swiss cheese. Just reading something doesn't automatically make me remember it...I need to hear it, see it, and then work with it to really get it memorized and understood.

I did get several meetings set up and I'm SO excited and kind of proud of myself. They're all businesses that we are customers of ... does that make it less exciting and scary? Not to me! I'm just thankful that they are giving me a chance to present...and practice! =) If they decide to sign up, all the better. But right now I really need to get a grasp of how to do this right.