Team Lake Training 2013!

We are having our 2nd Annual Team Lake Training February 1-3! This will be a FANTASTIC weekend of training, motivation, encouragement, and FUN! You do not want to miss this weekend! But, space is going to be very limited...so check your calendars asap and let me know if you can attend. Read all the details below...

What? A FULL training weekend geared towards consultants. Topics covered will include: knowing your “why”, setting goals, promoting to Team Leader, preschool book fairs, home parties, school & library sales, earning President's Club, earning trips, and much MORE!!!

When? Around 4 on Friday, February 1 – noon on Sunday, February 3

Where? Beautiful Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama…about 1 ½ hours south of Birmingham 

Why? This training is to help YOU learn how to take your business to the next level. Our goal is for you to leave motivated, excited, and with a wealth of knowledge & new ideas! This weekend will be just a taste of the amazing training that we receive every summer at National Convention in Tulsa.

Cost? Just $20 to pay for meals for the weekend…this includes dinner Friday night, all 3 meals on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.

How to sign up? Check your calendars and email me asap to let me know whether or not you are planning to attend. Then, put a check for $20 made out to Kelly Akers in the mail. Mail it to me at:

2529 Oneal Circle
Hoover, AL 35226

Once I receive your check, you are officially signed up! Please do this as soon as you can…before all the spots fill up! We are very excited about this! You are going to get GREAT training for a GREAT price!!!

Our Newest Team Leader: Mandy Golightly

Katie & Mandy at National Convention this summer

I am so proud of our newest Team Leader, Mandy Golightly!  Mandy began her business in the spring of 2012.  But, it wasn’t until she joined us at Usborne National Convention in June that her business really took off.  At convention Mandy set the goal to promote to Team Leader on October 1.  I don’t remember ever seeing someone’s business change overnight like Mandy’s did.  Mandy left convention so motivated and inspired that she literally spent a good portion of the trip home from convention on the phone talking with potential recruits and sharing her excitement with people about the business.  Her team has experienced AMAZING growth over the past 3 months, and on October 1 Mandy achieved her goal of becoming a Team Leader.  Mandy…we are SO PROUD of you and EXCITED about your growing business.  You have been such a blessing to our team!  Thanks for being our little “ray of sunshine.” :)

Guess what!?!  Any of you can do what Mandy did!!!  Set the goal to promote and let us know so we can help you achieve that dream.  Another takeaway from Mandy’s story is the power of attending Usborne National Convention.  Convention was literally a game changer in Mandy’s business.  Start making plans NOW to join us in Tulsa this coming June for convention.  I can 100% guarantee that you will not regret the decision to go!

Weekly Highlights

I am so excited about all the fun things going on on our team!  You gals are so awesome!  If you are in the Birmingham area, join us this Tuesday night, September 18, at 7 PM at the Starbucks on 280 at Greystone.  Also, EVERYONE join us Monday night at 8:30 PM CST for our training call on Hostess Coaching.  Go to www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1 to join us!  

Here are some highlights from this week...

• Hannah Chambers (Midland, GA) scheduled an open house and 2 other home parties and had her first library appointment!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) scheduled an elementary school book fair!

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) scheduled a baby shower home party!

• Rebecca Corley (Clanton, AL) scheduled a preschool book fair!

• Catie Lumpkin (Birmingham, AL) earned her FULL KIT REFUND by selling $1500 net in her first 30 days!

• Hanna Riggins (Alabaster, AL) had a great first preschool book fair!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) scheduled a preschool book fair and a CFAC during one preschool appointment!

• Amanda Ledbetter (Sylacauga, AL) scheduled an elementary school book fair and had her first preschool book fair!

Weekly Highlights

We had a lot of growth over Labor Day Weekend...welcome to all the new consultants who have joined our team!!!  You are signing up at the perfect time...entering the fall, Christmas-shopping season!  So, get those calendars out & start scheduling some home parties!  :) For the new gals...your Team Leader has probably already contacted you.  Be sure to schedule your New Consultant Training with her.  We are here to help you get your business off to a great start!  :)  Here are few ways that you can take advantage of training opportunities and get connected with our team:

Monday Night Team Training Calls

Our team training calls are every Monday night at 8:30 CST.  The link to join the training call/webinar is www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1.   This week we will be talking about School & Library Sales...so this will be a great call for those of you interested in entering this market.

Birmingham Area Team Meetings

For those that live in the Birmingham area, we have monthly team meetings that usually involve a little training and a lot of connecting with our team!  :)  Here are the next 2 meetings:

Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 PM at the Starbucks on Hwy 280 at Greystone

Thursday, October 25 time & place TBA - dinner with author/illustrator, Michelle Nelson-Schmidt

Here are some team highlights from the week...

• Helen Moss (Fairhope, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Tristy Johnson (Foley, AL)!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) had her first school library order and had a new consultant join her team...welcome Mindy Upham (Liberal, KS)!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Christie Rudd (Columbus, GA)!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Brett & Aly Merrill (Brooklyn, NY)!

• Melody Beaty (Bay Minette, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Keri Reed (Bay Minette, AL)!

• Rebecca Corley (Clanton, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Susan Moody (Lake Park, GA)!

• Catie Lumpkin (Birmingham, AL) scheduled her first preschool book fair!

• Hanna Riggins (Alabaster, AL) scheduled a preschool book fair for next week!

• Felicia Self (Winfield, AL) scheduled a preschool book fair for next week and met with ALL the teachers in the Marion County School System!

Weekly Highlights

What an exciting week!!! Don't you just love that I am saying that every week these days?! Here are some super fun highlights from the week...

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) had a wonderful school library appointment...she walked away with an order and possibly a CFAC!

• Amanda Ledbetter (Sylacauga, AL) scheduled her first school library appointment and her first preschool book fair!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) has her August numbers to promote to Team Leader October 1! She also had her first school library appointment and had 2 new consultants join her team...welcome Ashley Carson (Trussville, AL) and Amanda Burkett (Northport, AL)!  And, she finished at #19 in consultant sales for August!

• Melody Beaty (Bay Minette, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Krystle Morgan (Newark, DE)!

• Hanna Riggins (Helena, AL) had her first school library appointment!

• Hannah Chambers (Midland, GA) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Robbin Tomich (Carnation, WA & Germany)!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) kicked off a preschool CFAC!

• Catie Lumpkin (Birmingham, AL) has already earned Success Kit 1 after just 2 weeks of being a consultant!

• Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL) finished at #16 in consultant sales for August!

Atlanta Regional Training 2012

Top row: Krista, Leslie, Kelly, Mandy, Katie, Amanda.  Bottom row: Maranda, Rebecca, Tara, Helen   (Aprille had to scoot out a little early...so sad you missed the group shot, Aprille!)

We had so much fun this past weekend at Atlanta Regional Training!  One of the things I love the most about this business is the friendships that it has brought into my life...that was not something I expected when I started this business 5 years ago!  I love the times that our team gets to spend time together!  :)  Saturday was such a great day of training.  I think we all left excited and motivated to take our businesses to the next level.  Our upline Team Leaders, Ruth Smith & Nancy Ann Wartman, were wonderful as they shared how if we really work our business we can make career-level income.  Ruth also shared a lot about recruiting...Katie Meyerpeter is going to share some of that in our team training call tonight!  I know there are a few consultants on our team who left the training on Saturday excited about recruiting and ready to start working to promote to Team Leader!  How awesome is that!?!  If you weren't able to join us, you can still jump on the promotion band wagon!  We have consultants who are going to be working to promote November 1 and December 1...you can join them!  Let us know if this is something you want to work towards and we can help you make it happen!  :)

Weekly Highlights & Reminders

I am excited about the growth our team is experiencing right now!  It is going to be a FUN fall season...get ready!  :)  Here are a few reminders to put on your calendars:

• If you are not joining us for our Monday night team training calls, you are missing out!  These training calls have been such a blessing for our team...not just because of the great training, but because of being able to connect with & encourage our team members!  Join us on Monday nights at 8:30 at www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1. 

• The Birmingham area September team meeting is Tuesday night, September 18 at 7:00 at the Starbucks on 280 at Greystone.

• The Birmingham area October team meeting will be Thursday night, October 25.  We will be having dinner with Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, author/illustrator of Dogs, Dogs, Cats, Cats, and Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster!!!  Time and place to be announced later.

Here are some highlights from this week...

• We had a new consultant join our team...welcome Helen Moss (Fairhope, AL)! 

• Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL) had a preschool book fair this week...she had 5 people wanting to host home parties and 1 person interested in the business!

• Amanda Ledbetter (Sylacauga, AL) scheduled an appointment with a preschool thanks to a lead from Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL)...I love how our team helps each other!!!!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Hannah Chambers (Midland, GA)!

• Rebecca Corley (Clanton, AL) earned Success Kit 1 for having $750 net sales in her incentive period so far!

Weekly Highlights

Excited, inspired, motivated...these are just a few words that come to mind when I think of our team right now!!!  You gals are so amazing.  I have LOVED our times together on Monday nights!  If you have not been able to come to the training calls yet, please join us...it is such a fun way to connect with our team and be encouraged!  This Monday night (August 20) at 8:30, Katie Meyerpeter will be sharing about Getting Bookings. :)  Also, don't forget about our A-Team August Home Party Challenge...an awesome prize from me to the consultant on our team who holds the most home parties in August!  :)

Here are some highlights from this week...

• We had a new consultant join our team...welcome Catie Lumpkin (Birmingham, AL)!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) and I had SO MUCH FUN at our booth at Birmingham Babypalooza this past weekend!

• Hanna Riggins (Alabaster, AL) set up for Staples Teacher Appreciation Day and had her kickoff party!  She has also set a Team Leader promotion date goal of November 1!

• Melinda Thompson (Batesville, MS) scheduled a booth at a speech and audiology conference and booked a Cards for a Cause fundraiser!

• Maranda Lutz (Vestavia Hills, AL) set up at a Staples Teacher Appreciation Day!

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Melody Beaty (Bay Minette, AL)!

• Melody Beaty (Bay Minette, AL) has already set a promotion date goal of December 1!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) had 2 new consultants join her team...welcome Heather Sons (Vestavia Hills, AL) and Emily Hoppe (Hoover, AL)!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Julie Miller (Winnetka, IL).

• Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL) earned Success Kit 1!

Weekly Highlights

What an exciting 2 weeks it has been!  You gals are just amazing...I can't wait to see what kind of fall selling season our team has!  Before I share highlights from the past 2 weeks, here are a few reminders...

• The early bird rate of $38 for Atlanta Regional Training ends TOMORROW!!!  We have 10 gals from our team going!!!!  That is the most we have ever taken & I could not be more excited!  I would love, love, love for YOU to join us!!!!  So, go register today!   :)

• Remember our August Home Party Challenge!  The consultant who holds the most home parties in August will be crowned the "A-Team August Home Party Queen" and will receive an Usborne bag full of Usborne goodies from me!  How is your August home party calendar looking?  You still have plenty of time to schedule some parties, so get on the phone today!

• Join us this Monday night, August 13 at 8:30 for our weekly team training call.  This week we are going to revisit the very first topic we covered 5 weeks ago:  Promoting to Team Leader.  New consultants...you want to be sure to be on the call this week and learn WHY and HOW to reach this first most key step in building a business with Usborne!   Here is the link to join us:  http://www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1.

Here are some of the AWESOME highlights from the past 2 weeks...

• Melinda Thompson (Batesville, MS) has LOT of fun stuff she is working on...a SLP conference, a speech & hearing clinic book fair, and upcoming holiday markets!  Way to plan ahead, Melinda!  :)

• Julianne Carney (Collierville, TN) has a homeschool co-op that is ordering our Smarty Pants Camp curriculum for their classes this fall!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) had a new consultant join her team (who also happens to be her best friend!)...welcome Amy Adkins (Littleton, CO)!

• Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL) just signed up on July 23rd and has already held 3 home parties and has sold enough to reach $750 net sales within her first 30 days AND scheduled a preschool book fair!

• Hanna Riggins (Alabaster, AL) is doing Staples Teacher Appreciation Day tomorrow, booked a Cards for a Cause fundraiser, and had a new consultant join her team...welcome Rushie Dickerson (Memphis, TN)!

• Kristy Trahan (Houma, LA) had her kickoff party and had a new consultant join her team...welcome Jackie Nell (Patterson, LA)!

• Rebecca Corley (Clanton, AL) had her kickoff party!

• Jeni Parrish (Montevallo, AL) had her kickoff party and booked a Cards for a Cause fundraiser!

Whew!!!!  That is A LOT of highlights!!!  GO TEAM!!!!!!!!!  :)

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!?!

The start of college football season is just around the corner and, as usual, I am SO excited!!!  For those who live in Alabama, you know the love & devotion the Tide and Tiger fans have for their teams.  It is SO COOL that we have That's Not My books for both team's mascots!  I created a flyer that you can take to home parties for both That's Not My Elephant and That's Not My Tiger!  Just click on the title of the book to download the flyer. :)

Weekly Highlights

It has been another exciting week for our growing team!  A couple of reminders...

• If you have not registered for Atlanta Regional Training on August 25, go register!!!  You don't want to miss this great day of training!  To register online, login to your consultant site...under the navy Links sidebar, the very last link that says "Regional Schedule 2012", next to the Atlanta training there is a link that says "Register online".  It only takes 2 minutes!  Let me or your Team Leader know when you register & if you want to go on Friday with us.

• Don't forget about our weekly team training calls!  They are every Monday night at 8:30.  This week the training call is about Home Parties...specifically Hostess Coaching.  The link to join the call is http://www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1. 

• Remember to be scheduling home parties on your August calendar NOW!  The race for August Home Office Challenge is going strong!!!!

 Here are some fun highlights from this week...

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Rebecca Corley (Clanton, AL)!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) had a new consultant join her team...welcome Jeni Parrish (Montevallo, AL)!  Mandy also currently has 5 home parties on her calendar for August!!!

• Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL) has her kickoff party this week!

• Hanna Riggins, Kara Westbrook, Maranda Gurley, and Jeni Parrish have all scheduled their kickoff parties!!!  Way to go, new consultants!  :)

Weekly Highlights

This has been such an exciting week!  I was reminded all over again of one of the many reasons I LOVE this business.  On Monday night, we had our training call which was lead by the wonderful Katie Meyerpeter.  And, on Tuesday night we had our Birmingham area team meeting at Jim N' Nick's.  Both nights were so much fun and a reminder to me of the amazing friendships that this business has brought me...a completely unexpected perk that I had no idea about when I first became a consultant 5 years ago.  I am SO THANKFUL for all of you!!!  That dinner at Jim N' Nick's actually moved down Hwy 280 to Starbucks for coffee afterwards and resulted in 2 more consultants on our team!  :)  So, on that note, here are some highlights from this week...

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) had 2 new consultants join her team...welcome Hanna Riggins (Birmingham, AL) and Kara Westbrook (Hoover, AL)!  Mandy also had a great home party this week!

• Kara Westbrook (Hoover, AL) already has a new consultant on her team...welcome Maranda Gurley (Vestavia Hills, AL)!

• We had another new consultant join our team...welcome Leslie Guin (Alabaster, AL)!

• Kristy Trahan (Houma, LA) has scheduled her kick-off party!

• Hanna Riggins (Birmingham, AL) has scheduled her kick-off party!

• Melinda Thompson (Batesville, MS) talked to her Office Depot and was able to be a SPONSOR for their Teacher Appreciation Day...for free!!!  Her logo will be on the back of the t-shirts and a flyer about her business will go home with all the teachers! 

A few reminders...

• We found out this week that Heather Cobb, National Sales Manager at Usborne Books & More, will be at the Atlanta Regional Training on Saturday, August 25.  If you have not already registered, please do that asap!  You don't want to miss out on this GREAT day of training!!

• How are you doing on the August Home Party Challenge!?  Remember, the consultant who holds the most home parties in August gets a bag full of Usborne goodies from me!  Filling your August calendar means you need to be on the phone NOW...don't wait!  :)

• Don't forget about our team training call on Monday night, July 23 at 8:30!  Tara Maple will be leading the call on Recruiting!  Here is the link to join us:  http://www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1

Weekly Highlights

This has been such an exciting month so far!  We had our very first team training call this past Monday night for gals on our team who are interested in promoting this fall!  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!  We are so excited to continue these calls into the fall!  This next Monday night (July 16) at 8:30, Katie Meyerpeter will be leading the call about Getting Bookings.  It is SO important in our business to have a "healthy" calendar...Katie is going to be giving us tips on how to do that!  I would love for you all to make plans to join us!  Simply click on this link Monday at 8:30 to join us:  http://www.anymeeting.com/akersteam1. Before the call, print this Booking Notebook sheet to have with you on the call.  

Also, for those of you in the Birmingham area, we will have our July Team meeting next Tuesday, July 17 at 6:00 PM at the Jim N' Nick's on Hwy 280 at Greystone.  I hope many of you can join us!  Please let us know if you are planning to attend so we know how big of a table we need!  :)

Here are some more highlights from the month so far...

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL)  had 2 new consultants join her team...Welcome Kristy Trahan (Houma, LA) and Crystal Deforest (Pike Road, AL)!  Tara also placed an order for a library this week that she has been trying to get to order for 2 1/2 YEARS!!!  Persistence pays off!  

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) had a new consultant join her team...Welcome Amanda Cargo (Fultondale, AL)!  Katie also booked a preschool book fair and a Cards for a Cause fundraiser!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) has 2 home parties this week, booked 2 home parties at her home party this past week, started a Cards for a Cause fundraiser this week AND had a new consultant join her team...Welcome Lindsey Schor (Birmingham, AL)!

***Don't forget about our August Home Party Challenge!!!  Who is going to be declared the "A-Team August Home Party Queen"????

August Home Party Challenge!!!

We are going to have a fun little challenge for the month of August!!!  I announced it last night on our first team training call (which went great & was so much fun!), but I want to make sure everyone else knows that wasn't able to be there.  So here it is...

The person on our team who holds the most HOME PARTIES in AUGUST gets an Usborne bag full of fun Usborne goodies from me!!!  And, believe me...it's going to be GOOD stuff!  :)  Now...it has to be home parties and the parties have to be closed out (submitted in OrderPro) in August.  After the last day in August, I will look and see who held the most and announce the winner!

You may be wondering 2 questions...WHY August and WHY home parties???  Here is why...having a healthy home party calendar in August is going to springboard you to have a healthy home party calendar in the fall.  As people come to your parties in August, you will have the opportunity to share with them the benefits of hosting their own party and hopefully many of them will book a home party with you in September (which will lead to home party bookings in October, etc.)!  Now, I am limiting the challenge to home parties because home parties are the BEST way to build a consistent business AND to find people who want to join your team.  There is no other venue in our business that allows you the opportunity to share with a group of people about the benefits of hosting a home party AND share with them how they can join your team and start their own business with Usborne.  Book fairs are GREAT (I do a LOT of them)!  But, typically, a book fair doesn't lead to more book fairs or recruits.  However, home parties lead to BOTH more bookings and new consultants for your team!!!  So, since I want you to have a ROCKIN' fall and I want you to build your team (and promote to Team Leader!), I decided that an August Home Party Challenge would be a fun idea!  :)  So, get out your calendars, figure out what nights you are available to do parties, and get on the phone!

I can't wait to see who our "August Home Party Queen" will be!!!!!!!!

Weekly Highlights

What a fun week!  I LOVE the momentum that national convention stirs up on our team!  It has been an exciting week with lots going on as gals have gotten on the phone to fill their calendars for the rest of the summer.  You can have that same momentum as well!  We have 2 upcoming events to help you with your Usborne business.  On Tuesday night, July 17th, at 6 PM we are going to have a team meeting at Jim N' Nicks on Hwy 280 in Birmingham (near Greystone).  We want to spend some time connecting, sharing with all of you about convention, showing you some of the new titles that just came out, and do a little training.  :)  Please let me know if you will be able to join us!  Also, on Saturday, August 25, we will have our annual regional training in Atlanta.  I can't say enough how each of you needs to make it a priority to attend this!  I know that attending national convention in Tulsa is not an easy option for some of you.  But, we all can sacrifice one day to drive to Atlanta and take advantage of this great training!  I have emailed out the application and it is also available on our NEW team Facebook page!  :)  We would LOVE for you to take advantage of these 2 opportunities to learn how to grow your business!

Here are some highlights from this week...

•  Amanda Ledbetter (Sylacauga, AL) earned Success Kit 1 for having at least $750 net sales during her incentive period!

• Tara Maple (Opelika, AL) and Tawana Malone (Opelika, AL) have a booth this weekend at the Alabama Homeschool Expo in Montgomery!

• Krista Landenwich (Bay Minette, AL) had a GREAT sales week!

• Jessica Wood (Sheffield, AL) scheduled a home party and possibly a preschool RFTS!

• Mandy Golightly (Helena, AL) booked 2 (possibly 3) home parties, booked a preschool book fair, had two $100 orders, AND has a booth this weekend!

• Katie Meyerpeter (Chelsea, AL) booked a home party, scheduled a meeting with a preschool about a CFAC and a book fair, scheduled a meeting with a public library, and reserved a booth a Staples Teacher Appreciation Day!

• The July Hostess & Starter Kit Specials are up, and they are AWESOME!!!  To see what you have to offer in July, login to your consultants only site, click Business Information under Links, and then click Current Specials.  Until the new month begins, this is where you can find the next month's specials. Make sure ALL your customers know about these great opportunities for getting free books AND starting a business with Usborne Books & More!