New Body Under Construction

Posted by Tammy

Why is it that it’s not hard to put on the weight, but it’s hard to get it off?  Before my wedding, I lost 13 pounds because I was on a #skinnybride mission.  Well one month later, I’ve put back 8 of those 13 pounds.  Honeymoon in Bora Bora, holiday festivities and lack of self-control all added to the weight being put back on.  Oh, and not being faithful to my skinny wraps and supplements.  It’s my own fault, I know that!  I'm so mad at myself because I worked so hard to lose it, and then BAM, I put it back on.   It got me thinking, what are some simple changes that I can make to help me get back on track.  We all love lists, right?  So here is my list of small changes I will be making to get that weight back off!

1.     Cut out two morning Dr Pepper’s a week and substitute with an extra serving of Greens! – I’m being realistic here, I know I can’t cut them out completely

2.     Park in the farthest parking spot at the store instead of the closest

3.     One glass of wine or beer with dinner instead of two or three (or sometimes more)

4.     Drink water. Period.

5.     Substitute real butter for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”

6.     Eat breakfast

7.     Grab a smaller plate to control portion size

8.     Plan meals in advance.  Plan 4-5 weekly meals on Sunday for the upcoming week

9.     Mustard instead of mayo on sandwiches and burgers

10.  Make a daily supplement schedule and add reminder alarms in my phone

What are things you would add to the list?

Do You Leave Your Options Open to Earning Extra Income?

Posted by Tammy

I just read a sad and startling excerpt from the book, "Why Middle Class Mothers and Fathers are Going Broke."  The excerpt says:

"Bankruptcy has become deeply entrenched in American life. This year, more people will end up bankrupt than will suffer a heart attack. More adults will file for bankruptcy than will be diagnosed with cancer. More people will file for bankruptcy than will graduate from college. And, in an era when traditionalists decry the demise of the institution of marriage, Americans will file more petitions for bankruptcy than for divorce. Heart attacks. Cancer. College graduations. Divorce. These are markers in the lives of nearly every American family. And yet, we will soon have more friends and coworkers who have gone through bankruptcy than any one of these other life events."

I can see how easy it is to fall into the debt trap and it wasn't until recently that I appreciate more what I have in my home-based business.  It is our goal to be 100% DEBT FREE by the end of 2014 (this includes cars and student loans).  We started working towards our goal this week!  Thanks to my skinny wrap check, we were able to completely pay off one credit card, pay cash for Christmas gifts, adopt two Christmas Angels and still put some into our investment account.

Regardless of how you answered my introductory rhetorical question, I fear that a good portion of you reading this are falling into the "Middle Class Trap" and going deeper into debt and are headed down a road towards bankruptcy.  I'm here to tell you that is doesn't have to be like that.  You don't have to have the weight of debt dragging you down every day and the good news is there are options out there, like the one I am involved in.   An extra $500 a month can save your house from going into foreclosure, can save your car from being repossessed and can save you from having to tell your kid "no" because you can't afford to put them in soccer, or dance, or piano. 

If you leave your options open to earning extra income.  Contact me today...not tomorrow...but today and start 2014 with a plan in place to keep you from the feeling of being broke and desperate.

817-915-8366 (call or text)
tammy.castleberry.myitworks.com

Tammy's 10 Ten Tips for Traveling to Bora Bora

Posted by Tammy

Recently I got married and we decided that Bora Bora would be the perfect place to go on our honeymoon.  Over water bungalows, beaches, sun and fun!  Wondering where Bora Bora is?  Travel to Los Angeles (from wherever you are), then take another 8 hour plane to Tahiti, then another 45 minute puddle jumper plane to some island, and then another 40 minute boat ride to your resort.  19-24 hours later...you'll be in Bora Bora.

But in all seriousness, you really are in the middle of nowhere.  I know Boara Bora and it's teal blue water, beautiful beaches and did I mention over water bungalows are on a lot of people's "bucket lists" so I wanted to give you my top 10 tips for traveling to Bora Bora.

1. Ambian or some other sleep enhancing medication.  This is for the plane ride from LA to Tahiti.  Almost 9 hour flight turns into what seems like one hour.
2. Buy liquor at the Duty Free shop in the airport before your long trip.  There is no such thing as all-inclusive in Bora Bora so don't be shocked when two drinks will cost you $50 bucks.  This way you can have drinks whenever you want.  Our favorite was sitting out on our balcony of our over water bungalow sipping on our drinks.  Private and less expensive.
3. IF you forget to do Tip #2, then make sure you take a trip to the main island within the first couple of days of your trip for the same reason I mentioned above.  You can also get some Coke, snacks, etc. on the main island.
   
4. Sunscreen!  Listen to your wife and wear sunscreen even if only swimming for a few minutes.  Just ask my husband how days 2-8 went after he didn't put on sunscreen.
5. Double your budget.  Whatever you plan on spending, go ahead and double it.  Things are VERY expensive there.  My genius husband made a good point...we were out in the middle of nowhere.  It has to cost and arm and leg for them to get product delivered to them.  So they will charge you an arm and a leg...and they still need to make a profit. 
6. Enjoy the FREE things.  We sat outside our bungalow at night and we had a sting ray (we named him Charles...get it...Ray....Charles....oh nevermind),  Every night Charles came swimming around our bungalow and it was the coolest thing.  One night we even had a "harmless" shark swim by.
7. Do the touristy thing....you never know who might be there.   We got to spend time with Dustin Pedroia (Boston Red Sox Captain) and his BFF Andre Ethier (Dodgers) and their wives.  We also go to learn how the rich and famous live with their nannies and children with them in Bora Bora.  Every day at breakfast they said hi to us, asked us how our day went and if we had anything planned.  Pretty cool.  Guess I'll watch a little more baseball this next season.
8. Don't stay for too many days.  Did I mention there is no such thing as all-inclusive and you are out in the middle of nowhere?  We stayed one or two days too long.  The food started tasting the same, the newness wore off and we had island fever....and really, REALLY missed our son. 
9. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT forget your Fat Fighters.  I did and both Thomas and I regretted it.  There is a reason that Ploynesian people are not tiny.  Trust me and just pack a bottle...or two and take them to every meal!
10. Take it all in.  This really is as close to paradise as I have ever been.  I've traveled a lot and been all over the world and this by far is better than Paris, Hawaii, Caymen Islands, Jamaica, St. Lucia and any where in Mexico.  The resorts marine biologist told us that our grandkids will probably never get to experience this place because it will be gone and under water by then.  May happen, may not.  But take advantage of this beautiful place while you can!

Note: If it weren't for the amazing success I have had with It Works! and selling this crazy wrap thing, we would not have had the opportunity to experience this amazing place!  Thank you It Works! for helping me dream bigger than I ever thought possible. 

Teacher Survival Kit

Posted by Tammy

A new school year brings on many challenges, excitements and exhaustions!  Teachers too often spend so much time investing in others, that they neglect to take time investing in themselves!  That’s where we come in! 

After spending the day teaching 30+ students (more if you teach middle school or high school), grading papers, attending staff meetings, making parent phone calls, tutoring hours, after school activities, the last thing you have time for, or energy for, is to spend time on your self.  It Works! Global has some tools for you that will help ensure that you become a priority with little time and effort. Here’s how:

• Skinny Wraps – Go home after a long day of work, and put on a skinny wrap.  Tighten, tone and firm ANY area of your body in just 45 minutes.  Make dinner while wrapping.  Pay bills while wrapping.  Grade papers (if you are one of those teachers that takes them home) while wrapping.  Sit on the couch with your favorite-recorded daytime drama and relax while wrapping.  It’s the easiest part of your day!

• Greens on the Go – Germs in your school and classroom are just part of the job.  Students like to share their germs with you.  But, as we previously noted, you do not have time to get sick off of their germs.  Our alkalizing drink powder, Greens, gives you 8+ servings of fruits and vegetables in one serving, helps balance your pH and did we mention it ALKALIZES?  The more ALKALINE your body is the healthier you are and the more prepared your body is to fight off sickness!  Instead of that diet coke around noon, reach for your Greens.  You can thank us later.

• Fat Fighters – It’s Tommy’s birthday so his mom sent cupcakes for the class.  Mrs. Smith is having twins so cupcakes for the entire staff.  The PTA says “thank you for all you do”…….cupcakes all around.   Keep some Fat Fighters in your desk and take them after ANY meal/snack and you will block 1/3 of that cupcake from sticking to those hips.  Again, you can thank us later.

• You’re home from one of the longest days of teaching.  You’re exhausted, you lay your head down, but you can’t “turn your thinker off.”  You lay there wide awake, yet exhausted, thinking about everything you have to do the next day!  Here’s where CONFIANZA comes in.  This all natural, anti-stress gem, is like taking Xanex without the side effects or dangers.  It helps calm your stress, improves memory and helps improve sleep quality!  Every teacher should stash these next to the Fat Fighters!

As a teacher you have your “go bag” for fire drills, evacuations, etc., so we are calling this your teacher go-to survival bag.  These four products can help make your 2013-2014 school year less stressful, healthier and make your look and feel better, too!  Oh, and if you are thinking you want to make money and forget about all the stresses that come with teaching….we have something for that as well!  We are happy to share it with you!

Thank you for investing in our future!  Your job is a thankless job but it’s because your desire to educate the future, that you should be thanked every.single.day!  So we say THANK YOU (without the cupcakes).

Purchase | Facebook | Twitter

#babytobridesmaid

"You had 9 months to put the weight on, so you have 9 months to lose it!"

Yeah right.  Not when you're a bridesmaid (well, technically Matron of Honor) for your BFF's fall wedding that is now 70-ish days away.  It's time to get to work!!

Enter, project #babytobridesmaid.

Thankfully, I'm a distributor for this great company called It Works! and we have this little gem called the Skinny Wrap.  There are also other amazing products and supplements that support a healthy lifestyle as well as help in weight loss.  So, I'm all in.  I'm going to use the next 60 days to put these products to work and get back (or at least a whole lot closer) to that pre-baby body.

Here are the starting stats:
*July 8th, Had sweet Baby Boy
*165, Starting Weight
*130, Goal Weight
*November 15th, Wedding Deadline

Products I will be using:
*The Fit Pack, which includes
Ultimate Body Applicators (Skinny Wraps)
Defining Gel
Advanced Formula Fat Fighter with Carb Inhibitors
Greens
Ultimate ProFIT meal replacement shake
*It's Vital, daily vitamin

So I invite you to join me in my journey over the next 60 days as I use the Fit Pack, start eating 'better' and also start back on my morning runs with the above mentioned BFF, Tammy Castleberry ;)  I promise it will be an adventure!

And if I've peaked your interest on any of the products that I've mentioned above, here is the link where you can learn more https://jillhair.myitworks.com/Shop/Product/1000.

FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Do you or someone you know need assistance in purchasing school supplies for your child(ren) this year? We have been blessed beyond measure with this business and want to pay-it-forward and buy school supplies for two lucky fans. Here are the rules:

1. The winner must be a fan of Cowtown Skinny (www.facebook.com/cowtownskinny) 
2. You must post on our wall a story explaining the need (please if you can afford school supplies, do not post. We want to bless others that financially cannot afford it). Share it will the people you know, and encourage them to enter or enter for them.
3. We will select two winners the week of August 5-9

*Note: The supplies provided must not exceed $100 per winner. The winner will need to send us their child's school supplies list, along with a mailing address for us to send ship the winnings.

Skinny Wrap Two-a-Days

Posted by Tammy

Post #4

Skinny Wrap Two-A-Days

Ok for those of you that don’t me well, I am a football fanatic! So, why not let my two passions collide for this post! Football and Skinny Wraps = Perfection!

Soon all across the wonderful state of Texas, many high school and college football programs will kick off two-a-day workouts. What that means is FOOTBALL SEASON IS ALMOST HERE! My favorite time of the year is almost upon us! I can't wait to enjoy Friday night football, College Game Day when I wake-up on Saturday, NFL Sunday and ending it all with Monday Night Football. Not to mention the random Thursday night games, and if I am lucky, one on Tuesday and Wednesday. Basically it is possible to surround myself with football 24/7!

Two-a-days, is such a crazy concept to those not associated with football (or just a fan of football). Why in the world would a team practice twice in one day, when it is 106 degrees outside? The simple answer is because football season couldn't get here fast enough. But the real answer is because it is necessary to establish the "team mentality," to assess where you are as a team and as an individual, what you need to work on, what will work for you, what won't and just because it's football and it's fun!

As I sat here talking to a coach today thinking about how in a few weeks the high school football season would be kicking off, I found myself wondering is there such a thing as Skinny Wrap two-a-days? Then it hit me...everyday is a two-a-day in this Crazy Wrap Thing world (and I would argue sometimes a three-a-day). As a distributor, every day I work towards establishing a solid "team mentality" within our overall team, as well as with my loyal customers and the coaching staff (other leaders). If you were a fly on the wall and were able to witness our conversations you would hear us discussing our strengths, weaknesses, failures and successes and what we need to do to make it even better. Even if you win the Superbowl (or become an Ambassador) you will still show-up to two-a-days next season because your passion is so deep and you love being a part of a winning team! I get just as excited about Skinny Wraps as I do about Football Season!

You are a part of a winning team! You are in Ashley's downline. A record breaking-team in this company! If you are ready to be the next Ashley Sinclair, then you have to think and act like Ashley Sinclair and follow her coaching and her two-a-day lead! If I were to create a two-a-day schedule, I think it would look like this:

1. Show-up | If you don’t show-up, you will never win! Make the decision to show up to your skinny wrap job every day! Either you are playing in the game or you are a spectator on the sideline. I choose to be a player! 
2. Warm-up | Log-in to esuite, check your email, Facebook messages, texts first thing and get a grasp on your day ahead and where you left it all the day before
3. Team time | get to know your team, pick a few team members a day to talk to, encourage, help, get to know. You can’t win a Superbowl alone. If you don’t have a team yet, your upline IS YOUR TEAM, get to know them! 
4. Drills | This is where you personally develop yourself. Read a book, do your training, attend a training, schedule time with your upline. You have to do your drills over and over to perfect them for when game time comes!
5. Game Plan | What are you going to accomplish today. Make a daily, weekly and monthly plan! Stick to it, make it happen! Can you imagine if a coach in the middle of a game just said, “eh, I don’t have a plan, so just go play and have fun boys!” He would be fired when the play clock reaches 0:00.
6. Inner-Squad Scrimmage | Take action! Talk to people, follow-up with potentials, follow-up with current customers, look for events, plant seeds, blitz! DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING! IT’S GAME TIME!
7. Watch game film on the scrimmage | Reflect on what approaches worked, what didn’t, why didn’t that person say “yes,” why did your quarterback fumble the ball (lead), etc. Figure out the positives and the negatives and make the positives even better and work on fixing the negatives
8. Lunch break
9. Repeat steps 1-9

Two-a-days is where the men are separated from the boys. The time where people get cut because they can’t make it! Are you going to show-up to skinny wrap two-a-days, or are you going to get cut from the team? Tough Love, I know, but only the strong survive!

I’m headed for two-a days….are you?

Hook’em Horns!!!!

Join my team | tammycastleberry.myitworks.com

Poop or get off the pot!

Posted by Tammy

Post#3

“Poop or get off the pot!”

I bet that got your attention didn’t it? And I bet you are wondering how the heck am I going to tie this back to skinny wraps, huh? My ex-husband used to have a saying when people, or things, were taking too long. He would say, “Either poop or get off the pot!” It’s actually quite simple how this relates to this Crazy Wrap Thing; either you are working with urgency and you take care of “business,” or you just sit there and take up time not doing anything (probably playing Candy Crush while sitting there, ‪#‎justsayin‬’)! If you are the person just sitting there, you should know there are people like me, waiting in line for that pot, that are going to do what needs to be done and this whole time it could have been you instead….make sense? Basically those that poop faster and more often are going to be successful in this business! {C’mon now, we ask complete strangers all the time if they are “Regular” or not, so just find my humor somewhat amusing! At least we aren’t strangers talking about poop and my approach can make you rich!}

Working with urgency is not something we just encourage; it is something that we should all be doing right now to capitalize on the growth and momentum phase that It Works! Global is currently in the middle of. Every MLM company goes through 4 distinct phases: formulation phase, concentration phase, momentum phase and the stability phase. The momentum phase is where millionaires are made! The momentum phase if where life changes happen, the momentum phase only lasts 2-4 years…so work with URGENCY and make yourself a millionaire! I’m not here to educate you on MLM’s, you should already have done that on your own, or you should go do it after reading this! If knowing what phase we are in doesn’t light a fire under you to “poop or get off the pot” then go ahead and pull out your phone and play some more Candy Crush while the rest of us go capitalize on this phase with urgency!

You think I am joking, but if you take your sweet time on the pot, the opportunity for crazy money, life.changing.mone, is going to pass you by and all you are going to have is a dead battery on your phone and a lot of “what if’s!” It’s literally just that simple! Either you have to go “RIGHT NOW” or you can “hold it!” If you hold it too long, the urge might go away and you will be right back where you were before joining this crazy wrap thing. So grab a hold of your burning why, own your excuses and poop or get off the pot!

Bathroom humor over!

Does Your Why Burn?

Posted by Tammy

Post #2

Today I have the amazing opportunity to be in the delivery room as my BFF Jill Hair delivers her second son, Hunter! So many emotions are running through my heart and mind today. Almost two years ago, Jill, my sister and my mom were in the very same hospital welcoming my son into this world. Those three women were the only things that kept me sane during the hardest time in my life. Today seems like the perfect day for me to talk about the importance of knowing your WHY!

You might think it’s cliché when we say you must know your why, but hear me when I say, you don’t just need to know your why, your why needs to burn so deep that it is what keeps you going when you don’t want to because you are afraid of what will happen if you quit!

My why is my son! He is the reason I suck it up, make no excuses and work this business. Because of the hand I was dealt, he started life with an unfair advantage. I LET his dad give up his rights, with that came no help, no support, no father figure, nothing but heartache! BUT, there is no way in my power I am going to let my son suffer because of the decisions I made! I cannot and will not look at him, ever, and tell him that this business was too hard for me to change our futures! If your why is not powerful enough to overcome excuse after excuse, then you haven’t found a why that burns enough! Go and find it….NOW and tell your upline your why so they can remind you about it when you start making excuses. I guarantee you that Ashley will remind me of mine if I ever need her to. But, the great thing about having a why that burns, is that you don’t need anyone to remind you about it because it is always burning!

Your why, is your why, no one else’s, but you must have it. Whether it’s because you are sick and tired of having bill collectors call you, or you are full of guilt because you don’t have the time to be the parent you want to be, or you know you are done just surviving and are ready to thrive, you must know your why! Keep asking yourself why until you feel overcome with emotions and then you will have your burning why! Write it down, post it everywhere, and let others hold you accountable!

If your why doesn’t burn, it’s not deep enough! I challenge each of you to find your BURNING WHY, not just your why. There is a difference! If you can’t figure it out on your own, ask God to place it on your heart…trust me, He will, and He will let it burn!

Join my team | tammycastleberry.myitworks.com

No Excuses!

Posted by Tammy:
I was asked by one of the top four money earners in our company to post daily tips, inspiration, etc. for her team this week.  It was a shocking honor for her to trust me with this task and I hope I don't disappoint her!  I wanted to share each day's post with you here, too.

Post #1
Wow! I have some big shoes to fill following the fabulous Melanie Phillips Pittman! She is so inspiring! Our personalities are pretty different, as you will see over the next week, but I know that we both have a lot to offer each of you. You will soon learn that I really have a ‪#‎noexcuses‬ attitude and approach…I have a huge heart, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy with excuses! So with that said, I hope I don’t offend anyone and that I inspire all of you!

Cliff notes version of my story: I got pregnant, was not married, and then my son’s biological dad decided to give up his rights when I was three months pregnant (there is way more to this story that would make your jaw drop, just trust me when I say...IT WAS BAD)! Needless to say, I found myself face down on the floor and the only thing I could say was the verse Jeremiah 29:11. “'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' I vividly remember yelling at God (I mean YELLING) saying, “This? This is your plan for me? Seriously? How do I have hope in this? I am not married, I am pregnant, this child has no father and I am all-alone!!! How is this giving me a future? I give up, I can’t do it, so here you go God, all my worries, fears and plans are in your hands now! I’m DONE!” (I’m sure there was a lot more to that conversation with God, but I’ll spare you the details). Ironically, that is exactly what He wanted me to say! I’m sure He was saying, “It’s about time, Tammy! You are not in control, I am! Now give it all to me!” Soon after that, a peace came over me and I found myself saying repeatedly that I knew God is going to use my story to help others with faith, hope, forgiveness and trust! I just didn’t know that this Crazy Wrap Thing would be the platform! *Note: This didn't just happen in one perfect moment, it was over the course of a few days time, a bottle of wine with my BFF Jill Hair (don't judge us, my life was falling apart, wine was needed and my son is just fine), lots of tears, and a lot of conversations with the big man up stairs!! Trust me, you don't have to have clarification right away, but you do have to work towards it to reach it!

If anyone had an excuse to not work this business, it was me. I started when my son was almost five months old, and remember, I was a 100% single mom working a full-time job! So finding time to do events, parties, etc. was not easy! BUT, I decided that my circumstances were NOT going to define me, I was going to define my circumstances. Too many times we see people in this business that use their circumstances in their life as a crutch, they think it’s a pass to not work hard and then when they are not successful, they use those circumstances as an excuse! They blame everything and everyone else for their lack of success! Now granted, sometimes it's just not their time, I get that. But do they quit all together, or do they just hang on, and keep working until it IS their time to really work it?

I challenge each of you to take some time and write down all the excuses you are making in regards to this business. Get rid of them, remove them from your vocabulary and when you find yourself making an excuse, figure out a way to “re-frame it for positive!” You have two choices; it’s all in your approach! “I am a single mom, I don’t have any help with my son, I can’t work this business. I don’t have time, I don’t have the money.” OR “Because I am a single mom and I don’t have help with my son and because I don’t have the time or the money, I am going to work so hard to provide for my son, work so hard so that I can eventually be a time-free mom. I will not let the choices I made negatively impact his life! I did this, I can change it!” You either own your excuses or you let them own you! What’s your choice?

Join my team | tammycastleberry.myitworks.com 

Skinny Wrap 101

Join The Party!

Ever wonder what this "Crazy Wrap Thing" is all about?  Why spend thousands of dollars on botox, liposuction or shapewear when our wraps give you the same results in as little as 45 minutes* without the knifes, needles or discomfort!  We want you to JOIN THE PARTY!

Teachers to Millionaires: A Common Theme in MLM

Posted by Tammy

Over the past year I have been involved in a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Organization called It Works! Global as my side job.  I started because being a single mom I needed to supplement my income to have a little bit of breathing room each month.  The more I started to learn about MLM and the more I read, one thing kept sticking out to me and it continues to stick out.  Every single book I have read says that teachers and coaches excel in the network marketing profession.  I guess I shouldn't be too shocked, considering the CEO of my company, Mark Pentecost, started as a teacher/coach and now he is purchasing golf courses with CASH!  Crazy...anyway,  until I start making enough in my MLM to replace my income, I continue to work in public school public relations.  Before this role, I was a high school teacher and I've also served as an adjunct college professor.  Needless to say, education is very important to me.  So when the theme about teachers and coaches kept coming up about being successful in MLM I have to say, I agree 100%.   A lot of my time is teaching others on my team about the products, how to be successful, how to make the most out of the compensation plan and how to think outside the box.  I am teaching customers how to best utilize our products and educating them on what products are best for their individual needs.  Those things are ones that come natural to anyone that has been in the educational environment, I'm not different.  No wonder educators succeed in MLM!!  I have struggled over the past five months with approaching any educators I have ever worked with about this opportunity because of conflict of interest in my current role, but yesterday sealed the deal for me and I feel obligated to at least share it with others and post it here!  No harm, no foul, just my opinions and beliefs! 

The sad realization is, as educators, we are facing very uncomfortable economic times in our profession.  Some of us have gone three or more years without a raise, we have all seen the cost of health care increase - causing checks to decrease and to top it off, we are now learning about the 2013 Tax Tables that might also cause a decrease in our pay checks.  It is so hard for me to successfully do my “public relations thing” in this midst of all these hard times for so many.  I am always hearing about the possible cuts, the budget, the agony!!   The district I work for has over 2,200 employees.  Many of these are friends of mine, so I absolutely hate that they are going through this.  I am by no means taking a political stance one way or the other, but I am taking the stance on saying that I feel their pain because I am right there with them!  We “administrators” are not immune to the difficult financial times either or I wouldn’t be investing so much time and energy into MLM and I wouldn't be writing this blog post.

I know we didn’t get into the profession for the pay, obviously.   The students, the relationships, the overall cause, and the time-off are all things that draw most educators to the profession - along with a fairly stable pay.  We all know that our pay will increase, slowly, over the course of our tenure, but even at the max, unless an individual becomes an upper-level administrator or head coach, they probably will not make more than $75,000 annually.  I decided to make a change, step out of my comfort zone, and supplement my income in a way that gave ME control over what I earned and the amount of time I spent on it!  Many of the same reasons I got into education are the same reasons MLM was so attractive: the overall cause, relationships and the potential for so much more time off and of course, the income.  The only thing missing is the students…oh wait...they are still there, just in the form of my team members and customers!

I am not going to ask any educator reading this to join my team (even though I would love it if you did), but I do want to encourage all of you to look into a MLM company of your choice.  “Uncertain times call for uncertain measures” and there is not a lot of risk in joining a MLM company but the payout can be significant.  For example, to join my company it only costs $99, so I didn’t feel like I was breaking the bank!  I really hate to see our profession going through such hard financial times, and it makes me physically ill to see so many friends and families being impacted by things out of their control.  How many budgets have you seen cut?  How many positions have you seen evaporated?  How many friends have you seen let go or get non-renewed?  This financial crisis facing education has impacted many of us…I don’t want to see it impact you when you have this piece of information at your disposal.  I feel a responsibility to tell you, as an educator myself, why I feel that there is a firm reason that we succeed in MLM companies.  It's because we have passion, we like to learn, we thrive on helping others learn and reach their full potential, we like to motivate...so MLM is a perfect fit!   Research MLM and you will probably be as intrigued as I was…Who knows, maybe one of us will be the next Teacher to Millionaire!

Join our Facebook Group, Teachers to Millionaires, to learn more about MLM and our company It Works! by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/187153164759773/

We would love to have you on our team as a student initially and then as the rock star teacher/coach that we know you are!

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The $5 Savings Plan

Posted by Tammy
 
I am always trying to figure out ways to save money and pay off debt.  Granted, I don't have a lot of debt, but I do have students loans and some medical bills that need to get paid.  It seems like no matter how many payments I make, they never go down!  Do you feel me? Can I get an AMEN?  Today on Facebook, a Skinny Wrap guru Facebook friend of mine posted the $5 savings plan.  It seems simple: "Every time you find yourself with a five-dollar bill in your possession, you set it aside instead of spending it. Then at the end of every month you use what you have collected as an additional payment on a debt. You will be amazed at how many times you have $5 slip through your "budget" in a month."  My initial thought, was, "I can do that!"  But, then I started thinking about the source of the initial post. 

The initial post came from It Works! Ambassador Diamond, Joel Dunn.  I know that might now mean anything to you, but he basically is at the top of our company when it comes to independent distributors.  He is a skinny wrap guru, legend, leader, whatever title you want to give him!  I thought to myself that there was no way that Ambassador Diamond Joel Dunn needed to partake in the $5 Savings Plan because he was making more than six figures and did it in a relatively short amount of time.  Maybe he just wanted to share it with us because he knows we don't all earn the income he does.  Maybe he thought by posting a picture of all those $5 bills he would get more people interested in what he does with all his "dough" in an effort to make more of it.  Or maybe, just maybe, he's been there and knows what it's like living pay check to pay check.  Or maybe he takes his role as a leader in this crazy company very seriously and wants to help those "under him" feel the satisfaction of living debt free.  Or maybe he wants to uphold the mission It Works! Global has for their distributors of living a debt free life!  

I'm 99.9% positive his reasoning behind the post was because he has been there, he takes being a leader seriously and he supports the mission of It Works! Global.  Even though he is a passive friend of mine on Facebook, I have never had a conversation with him, but I admire his passion, drive and leadership.  I will make it a point to ask him about this post next week when I am in beautiful sunny Florida for the It Works! Global Annual Conference!  

Until I make six figures with this crazy wrap thing...I will stick to the $5 Savings Plan!

Goals for 2013!

Posted by Tammy

Tonight during our "Friday Night Fun Night" Jill and I decided that we needed to write our 2013 Goals down on paper so that we can hold each other accountable!  We also decided to post it on Facebook so that our social friends can also hold us accountable!  We are lucky because we have each other to make our goals and we know we have 100% support from each other!  Here are our goals! What are your goals?

Happy (Skinny) New Year!

Posted by Tammy

Majority of the world's population made a resolution, or goal, yesterday to get healthier or wealthier in 2013!  I am not going to lie, I did the same thing!   I want to lose 15 pounds and I want to see a check of $10,000 deposited into my bank account every month (more would be better, but that's where I will start)!  Luckily I have a leg-up on the competition because I work for a company that has the products I need to get healthy and the business opportunity to get wealthy.  The next four months are going to be crazy in the skinny wrap business because of all the goals and resolutions people made to kick-off 2013 and we are here to help them on their journey!  How excited is that to be able to help people reach their goals, which in turn will help me reach mine!   I am excited, nervous, anxious and full of faith about where my life will be in just one more year...and I get to experience it with my best friend, partner-in-crime, my BFFL (for those of you that don't speak Tammy, that is Best Friend For Life)!

Here is to a healthier and wealthier New Year...I ate my black eyed peas (and tamales) yesterday, did you?

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The Beginning of Cowtown Skinny!

Post by Tammy

In January 2012, Jill approached me about selling Skinny Wraps.  The conversation went like this:

Jill: I think I am going to sell skinny wraps and you should sell them with me!
Me: What is a skinny wrap?
Jill: I don't know....a wrap that makes you skinny???
Me: Ok!  Sign me up!

There might have been a little more dialogue in the car that day, but that was the basic premise of the conversation.  I didn't know what I was getting into, I had never even heard of network marketing, or multi-level marketing (MLM) but I trusted Jill and knew she wouldn't jump off into something that was a (that) bad of a decision so it wasn't hard for me to go "all in" with her.

Over the next year, Jill and I learned everything we could about skinny wraps and the company It Works! Global that we were now working for.  We had wrap parties, we did events, we went on road trips, we went to Jamaica and on a cruise, we made memories and we made money doing it.  If you would have told me that I would be able to make an additional $2,000 a month  in less that a year  with this MLM stuff I would have laughed!  But, I was quickly proved wrong seven months in when that's what we were making!  All I invested was $99...um, yes!  I'd do that again in an instant. 

Fast forward one year and we have both reached a leadership position (Diamond Executives) with the company.  We have branded ourselves, and our team, as the Cowtown Skinny Team, because we are based in Fort Worth, Texas (aka "Cowtown).  We are going to use this blog as an avenue to talk to you about skinny wraps, life, lessons, dreams and failures.  We will make you laugh and we will most likely make you smh (see you just did at that comment, didn't you?) but most importantly we hope you find encouragement in our stories and join us for a crazy ride in 2013!  Oh and did we mention, we are on the fast track to earning $10,000 a month in 2013?  Yeah, you read that right!  We will be able to get a glimpse at the financially free life, a time free lift, a life blessing others and helping others all while serving God!  It doesn't get much better than that! 

Grab Your Skinny (and your wallets) by the Horns because we are going to have a great 2013 with this crazy wrap thing! Happy New Year!

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