Secrets to Pink Zebra's Fragrances

Feeling Chicken

No I'm not afraid or a scared y cat, I'm literally feeling chicken.  As you may already know that I work from home Mondays and Fridays and concentrate on my PZ business.  Today I started out checking my reports, my groups and messaging a few hostesses and consultants to see how their weekend went.  Then I moved on to the chicken.  Many times I will have a party in the evening or I'll do a craft fair or vendor show on the weekend so cooking is not my top priority those days.  While I'm working from home I stock pile some casseroles or prep some meals so its EZPZ on the days I need them.

Today I was feeling chicken.  Start by purchasing a large economy package of chicken breasts,  I like boneless and skinless because they are extra EZPZ.  Put them in a large pot and add plenty of cold water to cover them.  Start to boil these, then turn them down a bit and let them cook until they are no longer pink in the middle,  approx 30 minutes.  Then I remove them and let them cool enough to handle.  If you're interested in chicken soup you are left with a bit of stock,  its not nearly as hearty as when you boil chicken with bones but it will do.

I cube up my cooked chicken and divide it into pounds.   This is my fury kids' favorite part of the process.  All the puppy eyes and kitty whiskers are tuned into me dropping something on the floor.  I pretend its an accident when I do,  these fury kids are spoiled.  I load up some freezer bags with a pound of cubed chicken and label it so I can add it to a recipe later like some Chicken Alfredo or a Chicken, Bacon and Ranch home made pizza.

Then I start on my casserole creations.  I have a Tex Mex recipe on my Pinterest that I make every time we run out of my freezer stash of it,  I make 4 at a time.  Today I am trying out a new one from All Recipes.  This is my favorite website for food.  Today its Easy Chicken Casserole,  I put this on my EZPZ Recipe Board on Pinterest too.

1. Grease a 9" round foil pan or 9 X 9 pan.  I use foil because it can be recycled and I don't own as many real casserole dishes as my freezer habit requires.
2. Add a pound of cubed chicken.   I top mine with sauteed onions and mushrooms because we like that.
3. Mix 8 oz of sour cream, a can of cream of mushroom soup (because I hate cream of chicken but you can use it if you like) and a cup of milk together and spread on top of the chicken.
4. Crush up one sleeve of Ritz Crackers and sprinkle them on top.
5.  Cover and freeze or load right in the oven.  This thawed casserole with need 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven to cook.  I serve it over egg noodles which I prepare just before its dinner time.

When I find recipes like this I always make up a few extra casseroles to stash in the freezer for my busy days.  This is just one of the tips I've found to make my life a little more EZPZ.

What are you making for dinner?  Or did you already make it last month and you just have to heat it up?  I'd love to hear about your favorite EZPZ recipes.

Packratmom's Cupboard: "Gotcha Day" is coming!

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Packratmom's Cupboard: "Gotcha Day" is coming!: "Gotcha Day" is coming up at our house this weekend.  For those of you who don't know what "Gotcha Day" is, it can v...

I'm coming out of the closet . . . .

I'm coming out of the closet, so to speak.  Here it goes,  My name is Kris and I'm a Network Marketing Professional.  There I said it, now you know!  I feel like there is a social stigma attached to the term Network Marketing.  It really is not a bad thing, nor something you shouldn't shout from the roof tops if that's the career path you decide to take.  I have a product that I love, Sprinkles, and I want to share it with people.  I truly enjoy meeting new people and getting to spend part of an afternoon or evening in their homes with their friends having a little 'girl time.'  The opportunity to join Pink Zebra has changed my life and been a blessing for me financially as well as personally meeting many of my needs such as giving me a passion for my work.  I love my company and I love sponsoring and mentoring new people in their Pink Zebra journey.  Much like any other job responsibility I do earn income from this as well, I think this is where people get confused and concerned about network marketing.  At my current level with this company I end up earning 3% of the sales of people on my team whether I am directly involved in their training and coaching or not.  Confession time,  I earned $56 off a girl in Texas (I'm in NY) last month and I never even heard of her before.  I almost felt a little guilty about that until I remembered the 'network' aspect of my job.  I trained someone, who trained someone, who trained someone, who trained her,  technically I did earn that money.   

Check out this excerpt from an article:

 Network Marketing is being taught at more than 200 colleges including Harvard Business School. After extensive research into the network marketing industry, Harvard Business School developed three criteria that a network marketing company must have in order to make it a most desirable opportunity. And what are they???

1. The company must be at least 18 months old, as 90% of all network marketing companies that fail, do so in the first 18 months.

2. The company must have a product which is both unique and highly consumable. Being unique in this case means that you have an exclusive product that can only be purchased from your company?s distributors. Having a product that is highly consumable means repeated sales, thereby guaranteeing customer loyalty versus a one time sale and having to locate new customers.

3. It needs to be a “ground floor” opportunity. Harvard Business School suggests that in order for the opportunity to qualify as a ground floor type, the number of existing distributorships should be less than of 1% in the country where this network company exists. In the United States, this figure is equal to 1.5 million people. Harvard Business School also stated that if there were less than 500,000 people involved, you would be on the cutting edge of a great opportunity. If the company has less than 100,000 distributors, Harvard Business School considers it to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Harvard Business School states that there are four distinct stages of growth in a network marketing company. They are:

1. Foundation – This usually lasts approximately six months. This is when a company develops its products and marketing plan.

2. Concentration – This period lasts approximately 2 to 4 years from when the distributor network is started.

3. Momentum – This period lasts from 2 to 4 years also. This is when the company experiences phenomenal growth. Both retail and distributorships explode in terms of expanding growth. It is during this period that the company virtually sweeps the nation. When a company’s sales reach 50 million, they reach what is called “critical mass” (sales go vertical right off the graph). Also, approximately 2/3 of the company’s growth of the new distributorships occur during this period of time.

For example: Let us assume you have an organization which is producing an override bonus check to you of $1000 per month. When the company reaches critical mass, distributors automatically experience a ten-fold increase in their earnings. In other words, $1000 per month becomes $10,000 per month. This is the reason for getting involved on the ground floor, so you will experience the benefits of explosive growth.

4. Stability – This period lasts for the life of the company. A network marketing company that is dedicated to the success of its distributors will experience longevity, thereby insuring that an active distributorship will realize continued earnings and growth.

Network Marketing is a valid business model and has even drawn the attention of Harvard Business School.  To learn more specifically about the Network Marketing opportunity I chose visit my website,  My EZPZ Life.  My career is one of my favorite things to talk about so I always welcome questions whether it's specifically about my company and team or another opportunity you are currently involved in or considering.  

Donating to a Cause

Today is our annual Rock 'n' Bowl event which is our main fundraiser for Schuyler County's Relay For Life.  My husband is the official captain of our team, Ten Pin Mafia, but I do lend a hand on organizing this event.  We always include a Chinese Auction as an additional fundraiser at this event.  Seeking donations from local businesses may seem like a daunting feat but it really does benefit your organization and it can benefit local businesses as well.

One part of owning my own business that I like is being able to use my business as a vessel to benefit my community.  From a business stand point this is referenced as 'cause marketing.'  Associating your business with worthwhile causes can improve your community image, be a wise tax deduction, and give you a new outlook on your business.  This can be done in several ways.

• Consider sponsoring a local youth sports team, its great exposure if your business fits that market audience and the kids really wouldn't have the opportunity to have local teams without sponsors. 
• Check in with your local advertising representatives,  many times they offer sponsorship opportunities to help absorb the cost of spreading a message.  If you are reading this locally check with Hi Lites, Schuyler County's Free Community Paper,  we often do special promotions like this,  most recently we supported the Girl Scouts by doing a colorful page to celebrate their anniversary.    
• Donate to local charities or fundraising events for organizations or individuals who are facing staggering medical bills or other living expenses such as from the loss of their home due to fire.  

Key tips for Donating   

Gift Certificates are a fantastic way to donate to a cause.  Depending on your industry you will find that only 50% of gift certificates are actually redeemed before they expire.  There is a decent chance to gain exposure without actually incurring the cost of a product or service.  Of course the ultimate goal of a gift certificate is to get someone to try out your business and possible gain a new customer.  To entice people to redeem your gift certificate and increase your first impression put a little sample of your product with the gift certificate. One of my favorite parts of my business is that I can leave extra samples of Sprinkles from Pink Zebra attached to my business card with my donation and gain exposure.  No matter what your business is always include additional business cards and don't be afraid to make that a stipulation of your donation. 

Gift Baskets are a wonderful way to showcase your product.  Be sure to include either an offer for a free item that can be redeemed by contacting you or a coupon for a percentage off their first purchase with you.  This will improve chances of developing a relationship with a new customer.  

Set limits.  Bottom line businesses can only occur so many expenses and a donation is technically and expense though a wise one.  Use a request form to help keep your records straight and to verify that you are donating to legitimate causes.  As with all aspects of your business, set a goal of how many donations you will make each month or quarter.  

As an organizer of events, I have some tips that will increase your chances of success in gaining donations for an event you are planning or a cause you are raising money for.  When approaching local businesses for donations keep in mind that communities often reach out to them for help.  It is simply impossible to donate to every worthy cause but the following tips can help increase your odds of success.  

• When contacting businesses, be prepared with information about your event or cause.  Many times you won't be able to reach key decision makers at a business but being courteous to their staff and leaving information with contact information will increase your chances of obtaining a donation.  
• Expand your search off the beaten path.  Many people seeking donations simply hit the easy targets on the main drag in your community.  These businesses are likely tapped out, so seek business with more out of the way locations that need the exposure. 
• Follow up.  It may take more than one visit to a business to get a donation.  Business owners do need to look at their budgets to be sure they can accommodate you.  If you don't get an immediate call back don't take that as a no,  follow up with them.  

Key Tips to Show your Appreciation for your Donors

Once you've received donations from local businesses show your appreciation.  Display their baskets or gift certificates nicely at events and give them credit for them.  Many businesses will give you business cards and/or samples to put near their display if they don't ask be sure to offer.  This builds your network and will improve your chances of getting additional donations for your next event.  

If you are using social media to promote your event,  give them a shout out on it!  If you are using print advertising or posters to promote your event give them a line mention.  Express your gratitude for their support. 

Send a thank you note after the event.  Some businesses like to display these and many business owners will be curious about the event turn out.  

I live in a small community that constantly offers each other support.  It really does give me a great sense of achievement to participate in fundraising as both an event organizer and as a local business person.  As you can see,  with a little be of foresight you can make these partnerships beneficial to both parties.  

Schuyler County Rocks and Cancer Sucks!  I'm happy to be part of today's event!  We've got two more big events coming with Paint the Town Purple on April 26th and Relay For Life on June 6th.  To learn more about Relay For Life or to get involved visit their website Relay For Life or for resources to help cope with cancer and treatment visit American Cancer Society.