This month I am one of the Branch Managers featured on the CD that is included with our Success Magazine subscription as part of the UTracker Pro Plus package.  All the attendees of the Super Regional Trainings from Las Vegas, Orlando and the upcoming Washington DC, will receive a copy of this magazine.  I was asked by Todd Skousen to be interviewed because I was one of the Top Recruiters for August for United First Financial.  I am very honored to be asked to be a part of this.  The other speakers on this CD are Skyler Witman and Nancy Thompson.

It has been announced that United First Financial will be featured on the cover of Success at Home Magazine for the January 2009 issue.  The magazines can be found on thousands of newsstands and book stores, such as Borders and Barnes and Noble across the country.  Only 12 companies a year are given this privilege.  Many of the companies that have featured on the cover have experienced phenomenal growth.  I am very excited to be able to be a part of that growth.

This is my first introduction to this magazine.  I think the content is fantastic.  I would definitely suggest this magazine to anyone.

Brooke & Kim I Swung the Bat Award

This past weekend at the Orlando, Fl Super Regional, I was awarded one of my most coveted awards, the “I Swung the Bat”.  It is a bat that is engraved with the UFirst logo and singed by all the principles of our company.  Our company has awards that are baseball themed.  The “I Swung the Bat” award refers to those whom the Co-Founders of UFirst feel will the go to person when the count is full and the bases are loaded and there are 2 outs.  It is given to the person who they feel will take a chance and do something above and beyond what is expected.  My Branch Manager Brooke  Barnett was given a bat at a Virginia VIP about a year ago.  I knew that I had wanted to earn one myself.

I learned a big lesson over the weekend.  I am not very good at saying Thank you and accepting compliments and awards.  I am the type of person who is a giver.  I help, I encourage, I give praise.  I am not used to receiving and if I do receive I always downplay my role.  How silly is that.  I need to be confident in my abilities, that my abilities and my actions are good enough to deserve the award that I was given.  Confidence is a funny thing.  I can be and feel confident in myself and my abilities, but when you want recognition from those that matter, the little insecurities sneak in, the questions start, did I do it right, did I do enough, am I really deserving.   It is the “YABUTS”.  I am currently reading the “One Minute Millionaire” by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen.  In the book, it talks about the ” Ms. Yabut”, the voice of doubt.  I have to deal with my own doubts and overcome them.  Crazy how timing is.  I read the book on my way to Orlando.  It is very funny how things happen in your life at certain times.  I will chalk this up to Life Lesson number 3000.

I want to personally thank Brooke for all that he has done to help me in growing my business and in my growth as a business woman.  His friendship and leadership means a great deal to me.  He has pushed me to grow and learn in ways I never thought possible.  Thank you to Skyler Witman, Matt Lovelady, Jonathan Bonnette, John Washenko, Mac Saunders, and Don Jorgensen for appreciating my commitment to U1st.  I am very excited and honored to be part of this special group who have already won the award.

I am in Orlando, Fl attending the United First Financial Super Regional. Brooke Barnett is currently holding a breakout training session on Internet Marketing. He is teaching a room full of UFirst agents the power of Internet Marketing. Brooke attained the highest level in the UFirst by using his knowledge in the Internet. He is sharing what he did to to get there.

He is also offering a Free 12 week Internet Marketing course. His 1st course started about 6 weeks ago. I am currently enrolled in that course and help out as a moderator. I have learned so much since day one. From the things that I have learned my website has steadily gained traffic and has moved up to the 3rd page of Google when you search Money Merge Account and United First Financial. My goal is to make it to the 1st page.

To sign up for Brooke Barnett’s course, go to www.ubranding.com.

If I did not believe before, I would be a believer now.  Any activity, whether it is sports, girl scouts, Karate,  or any number of groups that young kids can participate in, is so important.  I have seen my son blossom this year since he had the opportunity to play Pop Warner Football.  His self confidence has really grown in the past 2 months.  He believes in himself so much more now.  I attribute the growth to him joining football.

He begged me to sign him up this year.  His dad and I were hesitant because we knew it would take up a lot of his time.  We felt that he really needed to focus on school, because it is difficult for him.   We had many long discussions on what are expectations were of him and his school work.  School work must always come first.  If home work is not done, then there is no football.  Also if grades start to slip, then no football.  Who knew this was the motivation he needed.

Now that the season is almost to an end, I will give a little recap of his school year so far.  He is keeping up with his school work and is able to get all of his homework done before practice.  There is no arguements from him.  He is happy to do it.  He wanted to join Student Council.  He wrote and gave a speech in class, which is not easy for him and won.

As for his preformance in football….he is really amazing to watch.  He has found his “thing”.  He has developed leadership.  We always talk about pumping up your team, when they are doing good and especially when they are not doing good.  We talk about being gracious in winning and in defeat.  We especially talk about having fun.  He has had such an amazing season so far, many wins, many touchdowns, and his close favorite, many tackles.

Find your childs “thing” and support them.  It is so worth the sacrifices we as parents have to make.

Jackie Patrick is our guest speaker on the U1st Leading Ladies Weekly Webinar for October 20th.  She will be presenting on how she used home parties to start her United First Financial business.  She and her husband Casey have been prominent leaders with in UFirst.

I first met Jackie in March of 2007.  We both attended the first Boot Camp training that corporate held to teach us about Version 3 of the Money Merge Account program.  She one one of the first people I met.  We went out to dinner after the first day of 10 hours of training.  I could not believe that she came all the way form Virginia to attend the meeting.  We have been fast friends ever since.  Anytime I talk to Jackie she is telling me that she is just getting home from traveling around the country from helping train the agents in her organization.  She is someone I look to for inspiration.

Thank you Jackie, for your friendship.  Thank you, as well, for taking the time to join our calls and for giving us your valuable input.

This past weekend I attended the United First Financial Super Regional training in Las Vegas.  It was a fantastic event.  UFirst Corporate has rolled out the new Super Regional format.  The new trainings now have break out rooms so all attendees can pick and choose what information they would like to learn about.  I think this new format will make a big difference in what agents are able to take away from them.

Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, was one of the Key note speakers at the event.  I was able to meet him.  He has also taken up the UFirst cause.  He has become an agent because he believes in what United First Financial stands for and what the product will do for people.  It was a pleasure meeting and learning form him.

Mark Victor Hansen and I