Donna Valdes: Home Business Mom with a Midas Touch

POTENTIAL: 2nd part of the Holy Grail of Momentum

donnavaldes — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:35:32 +0000

Potential is the 2nd part of a 4 part series.

via POTENTIAL: 2nd part of the Holy Grail of Momentum.

Posted in personal development

The Holy Grail of Momentum: A Four Part Series

donnavaldes — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:34:34 +0000

The 1st of a 4 part series about the Holy Grail of Momentum. Belief is the foundation of momentum in network marketing.

via The Holy Grail of Momentum: A Four Part Series.

Posted in personal development

Are you in Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines or Australia? Let’s visit!

donnavaldes — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:34:42 +0000

Hi everyone. Wow, 4 countries, 11 cities in 15 days! It will be an amazing race alrighty!

So I leave November 2nd…. anyone want to connect?

I’m visiting…
Brisbane
Melbourne
Adelaide
Gold Coast
Sydney
Hong Kong
Manila
Tokyo
Nagano

Shoot me an email and let me know… give me the best places to eat (I’m always looking for a great local place in each city).

Take care
Donna

Posted in personal development

MLMQuickbuilder is a keeper

donnavaldes — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:16:42 +0000

If you haven’t heard the names Bob Schwartz & Kyle Schmalhofer from Home Business Advertiser, you should. Bob and Kyle have been marketing experts for the network marketing industry for years, and have created an affordable all in one tool that anyone can use. It is called MLMQuickBuilder. It is a lead “club” where you purchase your leads (there are three various types of leads they offer), and you get a decent contact manager system, autoresponder system, calendar, landing pages, all rolled into one.

When I review many of these types of systems, either the contact manage was so complicated that I would be lost in, or the autoresponders had to be created by scratch (and who has time for that) or the leads were not included.

This system has it all; an easy to use system that is automatic. Auto responders in place, leads that you are downloaded right into your account, or you can input them. A choice of landing pages. And they have an affiliate program that basically means your leads will be paid for just by sharing this system with others.

The system is new and it is only a matter of time before everyone hears about it! Sign up and test it for yourself for a few months!

Thanks Bob and Kyle for doing such a great job!
Donna

John Milton Fogg: You are a mastermind!

donnavaldes — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:03:17 +0000

The concept of Mastermind Groups was first discussed by Napoleon Hill in his famous book, “Think And Grow Rich.” In his research of the most successful people of his time, Hill found that a key difference that made people successful was being involved in Mastermind Groups. Masterminding involves bringing people together with different experiences and ideas to collaborate, brainstorm, and provide support to help the participants achieve their goals. Multiple studies have since shown that collaborating energies tend to work better together and that mastermind group are very beneficial. I couldn’t grasp the concept early on. In fact, when I first started in this industry, I thought it was full of clicks. The distributor force reminded me of high school. All the seniors (or leaders) would sit together, hang out. They were the popular guys. The geeks or nerds would hang out together, and the metal heads would do the same. I would try to fit in where I could, and I remember feeling like I wanted to be a part of whatever click I thought was the best at the time. I thought network marketing was the same. You join a distributor’s team, you look for where you fit in. You see the clicks, you hear about the leadership events, the mastermind groups. I wanted in.

But I didn’t realize the full value in the group dynamic until I started my own. It was explained to me this way…. Your network marketing business is like a mountain. You are at the top of the hill. You have a gigantic boulder in front of you, and you have several smaller rocks next to it. Standing next to you are all the other distributors in your click, team, city, or wherever. You can choose to get everyone together to push the bolder down the mountain, or everyone can pick up smaller rocks and throw them down by themselves. The rocks and boulder represent new business, energy and momentum. Knowing the boulder would produce the most momentum, you talk to the others and offer that if they all help you push the boulder, then you would share the momentum with them. Some join you, some don’t. Those that don’t look at you throwing their rocks off the hill, content to enjoy their own momentum and keep it for them selves. You and your friends push hard, and at first the boulder doesn’t budge. But soon, it gives way and as you continue to push it over the ledge, you see it pulling away and rolling over and smashing those other rocks as it speeds by. The mastermind group wins the most momentum.

I have a mastermind group in my business, most leaders have them. There are also mastermind groups in the industry and John Milton Fogg, a legend in network marketing offers an excellent series called The Mastermind Sessions. You can find it at www.themastermindsessions.com . Each week he interviews industry leaders like Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Mike Potillo, Randy Gage, Art Jonak, and Tim Sales. The knowledge that everyone shares is priceless. So imagine my honor when John Milton Fogg called me to participate in the session. At first I was a bit intimidated. But John was the most caring, professional, witty and comforting. He and I quickly became friends over a few quality conversations. What shocked me the most about John, is that he is human. Sounds funny I know, but when you are toe to toe with a legend, you expect them not to be human. John was and once again, I was reminded that people are this industry’s product. I was humbled by the experience and am grateful to have found a friend in John. To listen or read more, visit www.thefoggreport.com. “Donna V has very good stuff. She’s clean, clear, in your face but with a mother’s soft hand.-John Milton Fogg”

My weekend in NYC!

donnavaldes — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:10:55 +0000

It has taken me a few days to get my routine back, but I wanted to post and share about my weekend! It was such a blast. It started by the fact the kids were able to miss some school, so already they were excited!

Guess who was sitting in the seat just ahead of us? Susan Lucci and her husband. Here in St. Pete is the HSN Headquarters, she makes frequent visits to sell her stuff. But she is as tiny and gracious as you see her on TV.

We were greeted at the airport by a wonderful limo that whisked us (listerally in NYC traffic it seemed we were weaving in and out so fast!) to our hotel at the Parker LeMeredin on 57th. The room wasn’t ready. So we stored our bags and went right across the street to Antonio’s for some pizza…. arguably in the best in NYC! The staff of 60 minutes were staying at our hotel, not that my children would know who they were or anything…. seems there were lots of celebrites all around this past weekend. After pizza, we walked, and walked, and walked and walked. I started to feel a little weak, nauseous, and wasn’t sure why. I thought it was motion sickness.

We finally went to our room late in the day, and were pleasantly surprised when we were upgraded to a suite! It was fantastic! That night we had our reception on the penthouse floor of the hotel, it was great to see everyone, have some drinks and sushi…. then my husband and I met up with a few folks across the street for more pizza!!!! LOL. After dinner, I got some great “friend-time” in with Shelley and her hubby, as we enjoyed a few drinks and laughed and laughed. It was so much fun hanging out with her and Jim!

Friday was greeted with a catered breakfast then a “state of the Waiora Union” meeting, where we learned some updates, product information, etc. But boy, I just wasn’t feeling well. The naseau returned. Then we were on our own until Friday night. We shopped, and shopped. We stopped at Carnegie Deli, where my son had an experience he will never forget , then we were back to the hotel for some R&R. I was able to get in a nap, and felt better for the rest of the day. Friday night we had dinner at Shelly’s and then off to Grease on Broadway. It was excellent! Last year, we saw Lion King, I have to say the kids enjoyed this better. Afterwards, my husband met up with his brother (who lives in NYC) and they went to have drinks where they met up and had drinks with Clay Aiken. Yes, that is him in the photo below.

Saturday we woke and made our way to ChinaTown where my daughter learned the art of haggling, or bargaining…. 2 pairs of sunglasses for 9$ and a knock off Dolce and Gabbana bag for $30. Our gala was Saturday night, and then after that, I attempted to stay for the late night comedy show at Carolines with Shelley, Jim and Julio, but I couldn’t hang…. the nausea came right back and I had to leave to walk back to the hotel. Walking the streets of NYC at 130AM…. it was so much fun!

Sunday we got up and saw that NYC had their 5 borough Bike Ride. Thousands of bike riders took over the streets! It was so cool. I’m feeling much better, but Julio is now feeling a little ill. I think it was some stomach virus that went around.

Anyways, it was an outstanding trip! Thank you Waiora! The next Top Performer’s Trip is in Las Vegas, at the Wynn….. whose coming with me?

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What is the Slight Edge Philosophy?

donnavaldes — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:28:25 +0000

Hello friend.
A big thank you to my friend Art Jonak who sent me a copy of Jeff Olson’s Slight Edge book. I read excerpts on the net, but was so happy to read the entire thing. Jeff does a great job at describing what he calls the Slight Edge. Basically, he shares with you that the Slight Edge, in the most simple terms, is about doing something everyday towards your goal. He shows you how that it isn’t your attitudes that create your reality, it starts before then, it starts with your core philosophy. There is a lot more meat and potato in the book, and if you are looking to jumpstart your career, or kick yourself into high gear, to learn how to give yourself a competitive edge, get this book.

Welcome! Who is Donna Valdes and why should I give a damn.

donnavaldes — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:28:35 +0000

Well hello world. Thanks for joining me here. I hope you find the information useful, valuable, and will subscribe to this blog. The blog is basically going to be about my take on what I enjoy most. Right now, I seem to have the natural gift from God of listening, teaching and helping others. Personal development, life coaching, mentoring, whatever you call it, I have always been the person people went to share their problems and I seemed to make them feel better. This gift has been with me for as long as I can remember… I remember in high school, the guys would come talk to me for advice, and the girls would seek shelter from gossip. It was very bizzare, but so is high school. Through life, people just started talking to me, I guess I was a safe outlet, or caring, compassionate, I don’t know what draws people to me.

I remember dreaming as a kid. I was in a penthouse apartment overlooking the city. I don’t know what city, just a city. I was wearing high fashion, dreamed of high tech toys and furniture… interesting… I don’t remember any stress about money, I just had it. That was my dream, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there, but I figured somehow I would be there by starting out with one foot in front of the other.

Then I started working and I realized I was never content, I would work my way up the “corporate ladder” everywhere I was employed. If I was hired as a bar tender, soon I was bar manager, then running the restuarant. Later, I started as a legal secretary, then paralegal, then office administrator. Every where I worked, I did reach my full capacity at my job. I know what it means to have your head hit the glass ceiling; in fact, I think I have a few permanent bumps in my skull I have hit it so hard. In my last career, I was the Senior Paralegal doing high level claims in a Financial Securities Firm. Big stuff. I again realized that if I wanted more, more satisfaction, more income, more recognition…. I wasn’t going to get it there. So I started looking at options… sure I could go to law school and make all that money for myself, or find something new altogether. I would watch the CEO’s and owners of all the places I worked, and I would look at their cars, their clothes, their families… they seemed to have it all. I wanted that.

Somewhere along the road, I woke up and I was buying a minivan. I had been married to my loving husband, and I had two adorable children. Time has moved so fast…. Did your mom tell you that time moves fast the older she got too? I used to hate it when she was right. So, back to my quest for “it all”. I realized when looking back in my life, it was the owners and CEO’s that had it all, and it hit me like a ton of bricks…. why did the owners and CEO have it all? Why didn’t anyone else? Like me? I worked hard if not harder than them. I put in my share of the dues. Why was I living paycheck to paycheck, and they put their children in private schools with designer labels, took family vacations (I never had) and seemed to not worry about money like I was?

Then I figured it out. It was because they could. They were the boss. They owned the joint, they had power, they had the answer. So I needed to figure out how me, the star achiever, the perfect employee, the one that always got the job done right… how was I going to get what they had? I had to be the boss.

So, that started my journey. I looked at franchises for food shops, I looked at retail shops, I looked at home based businesses, I looked until my eyes bled. My looking took years. That is my only regret. But finally, an attorney I was working with ask me to look at a company whose products are sold in network marketing. I panicked. I remember years ago listening to horror stories about being locked in the fellowship hall of a church, eating a spagetti dinner and drinking koolaid with the door locked.

I was in for a big surprise and a huge journey that has transformed my life. So that is what this blog is about, I’m going to share my experiences, mistakes, accomplishments and understandings with you. Not so much all about network marketing, but what I learned along the way. Fast forward to today from that first exposure almost 12 years ago…. I have taught thousands, both on stage, in private and through tools, how to do what I have done. Now, I would like to use this media to share this journey with you.

Stay tuned for more,
God bless
Donna