Baby, it’s Cold Outside

A number of Watkins products will  keep those coughs and colds at bay.

With the record-breaking cold front working its way across the country, flu-like symptoms are being felt from Southern California to Maine. While not as serious as a full-blown case of influenza, a number of Americans are staying home from work or school. Many are relieved they don’t have to get out in all that snow, but cold symptoms are keeping these unfortunate folks in bed and miserable! But someone has to shovel that driveway. No, the creators of this blog won't be on the next plane to help you with that freezing task. But you can order a number of Watkins products to relief those aching muscles, and start you back on the road to recovery. 

It was J.R. Watkins himself who founded the company back in 1868 with the creation of his pain liniment that started it all. Some 145 years later, that pain liniment is still a big-seller, particularly during the winter months when colds produce those “ache-all-over” feelings. 

That was the beginning of Watkins apothecary line. Soon to follow were products to relieve coughs and congestion. Today, many households use the Watkins Cough Syrup & Decongestant. This product is a cough suppressant, and opens up nasal passages so those affected can breathe easier, particularly at night when in a prone position.

Nothing can help you feel better when you have a cold like a long, hot bath. But it doesn’t do much good if you just lie there. Try WatkinsMenthol Camphor Breathe Easy Bath Soak. Just the name will start soothing away your aches and pains. In addition, the camphor ingredient will help you breathe easier. This product has become so popular that it is now available as an ointment, a spray, Menthol Lavender Drops and as a vapor rub.

All of these Watkins products should be in your medicine chest. If you are already confined to bed, they better be on you night stand, along with a big box of tissues. You also might suggest to your significant other that a hot bowl of Watkins chicken soup, seasoned with the famous Watkins Black Pepper and Sea Salt, would really help you! Get well soon!

Touch Her Heart This Valentine’s Day With Watkins

Touch Her Heart This Valentine's Day With Watkins 

Sure, flowers, chocolates and a dinner out are nice, but be a bit more original this year with a brand that impressed her mother and grandmother.

 

The name Watkins has been around almost as long as Valentine’s Day, yet the array of products grows longer and more natural with every passing year.  That’s an important factor for today’s woman. In fact, more and more of its body care and gourmet food products carry the “Watkins Naturals” label.

Here are some a small sample that will make her heart go pitter patter. Just imagine a basket filled with All Natural Hand and Body Lotion, Ultra-Rich Hand Cream, Shea Butter Body Cream, and Lavender Bath Salts. Such an array of products would only set you back about $45, plus the cost of the basket. You can place your order for all these products by first going to our website www.AllNaturalCountyStore.com. To the left, click on “Personal Care” to find even more ideas.

With the money you save, you can take the lady in your life out to a fancy dinner, or better yet , prepare a romantic dinner at home for two, complete with a rose centerpiece, candles and her favorite bottle of bubbly.

You can play master chef by going to “Recipes” on the left column of our website. Each recipe will take you to the Watkins products needed that can be added to your online shopping cart. Another source under “Recipes” to top off your gourmet dinner is “Gift Line Recipes.”

One of our favorites under this category is the Chocolate Truffles. You also might consider this month’s featured recipe at the bottom of the front page of the website, Chocolate Almond Pudding Dip. A warning, however. Do not combine these two chocolate desserts to top off the same dinner. You both may have to join CA, “Chocoholics Anonymous.” A 12-step program has already been created for the author of the blog!

If you have any questions about placing your online order, just call the All Natural Country Store on our toll-free number, 888-881-7372.

What New Year’s Resolution List?

You aren’t the only one who somehow misplaced that document, which you spent so much time developing at the close of 2012.

You were so intent to start 2013 becoming a better person. No more junk food. Early to bed, early to rise. That gym bag would come out of the back of your closet. And the one that seems to be on many of those New Year’s Resolution lists – This would be the year your started your own business.

There are many excuses people have in not getting around to that one. We’ve heard them all.  I think I’ve told many people that Alan had to tie me up and throw me in his vehicle to get me to Las Vegas and listen to various Watkins leaders say, “If only I had gotten into this business much earlier, I’d be a rich woman today!” Sure, I wish that I had gotten into real estate investment and education a decade ago when properties were doubling in value every year. Those were the good old days. But the U.S. went into a recession. My investment properties tumbled in value to half the price I paid for them. My position teaching real estate at a Southern California business school was longer needed.

Yet the more I heard about J.R. Watkins and the 145-year-old company that still carries his name, the more I could see why so many U.S. households were familiar with its top-selling products. Just knowing that Watkins experienced its greatest growth during the Great Depression made me feel it was time to stop searching for another 9-to-5 job that would make my young, inexperienced boss look good.

Yes, I remained negative during the first few years in the Watkins organization. While the original $39.95 investment was minimal, we decided our chief method of selling Watkins was through public events. So inventory needed to be purchased. Space rent had to be paid. Yet we became managers in our first year, and celebrated in Hawaii at an all-expense paid trip where Watkins picked up the tab. But it took until 2012 to see our business really take off. The primary reason was switching to a web-based marketing program, which not only increased our sales, but also helped our sales team grow.

As a result of our success last year, we will be attending the Watkins Grand Prize Getaway April 10 through the 14 in sunny Scottsdale. Yup! Another all-expense trip thanks to Watkins! That’s just about the time we will be tired of shoveling snow in Big Bear Lake, California. I can already smell the petunias and star jasmine.

I’m familiar with Scottsdale because I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism just up the road in 1969. Count backwards and you can guess my age! I’m thankful to Watkins for more than the extra income it brings in every month. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in writing, marketing, design and advertising. I actually was a very shy kid when I first got that piece of parchment. But in the last five years -- for the first time in my life – I’m more confident, more self-assured, and able to walk up to a prospective customer without being worried about rejection. It happens. That’s life. As Cher told Nicolas Cage after he said, “But I love you.” She replied with a sharp slap to his face, “Snap out of it!” But he pursued and won her heart. Oh, to think of all the positions I failed to even apply for because I felt I wouldn’t be chosen, then go into deep depression for the next month.

Life hands you lemons, but as the saying goes, make lemonade out of them. If we had quit Watkins in the first six months because sales weren’t rolling in, I might have remained that shy, secluded individual afraid of life. Today, I know I deserve the success that we have achieved in Watkins. And I’m very content with what I have. Who knew that only $39.95 would begin such a transformation!

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.     E.E. Cumming

Countdown to Christmas

Now is the time to get crackin’ to make 2012 a successful year for your business.

Our upline Watkins manager Melody Thacker posted the following message on the Gold Team’s Facebook page: “Sixty percent of your annual sales will happen in November and December! You can make a good income if you work your business from now up to Christmas. But it's not enough to want it - you have to work it!”

How very true that is. Christmas is a wonderful time of year -- remembering those friends who made your 2012 extra special, and all those family members who are so important in your life. What about all those holiday parties you will be attending? Don’t you need something more unique than a bottle of wine for your host or hostess? Was this the year you established your Watkins business? Did you have an event to announce your new venture? This is the perfect month to do it. It’s a way for all those people important to you to learn that 2012 was the year you established your own home business. That’s big news. Your friends and family want your business to be a success. Don’t you think they are looking for suggestions for all the people on their gift lists?

Watkins makes that very easy for us this year. Here’s a few favorite things we know anyone would be happy to unwrap on Christmas morning. In fact, did you know Watkins has a new gift set that’s called “A Few of Our Favorite Things” Kit? How appropriate for this time of year! It’s a collection of some of Watkins’ best-selling apothecary items. This kit sounds like a fruit salad of scents: Lavender Bath and Body Oil, Coconut Milk & Honey Hand & Body Lotion, Raspberry Weatherproofing Lip Balm, Foot Repair Salve, and Lemon Cream Hand Cream. The kit is just $9.99.

Here’s another gift set that seems perfect for ladies preparing to make a stop or two under the mistletoe. It’s called the “Hands and Feet Retreat.” It contains Foot Repair Salve, Lavender Shea Butter Hand Cream and Custom Nail File and Buffer.  The kit is just $13.99.

Let’s turn to the chefs on your gift list. Watkins has been producing its own Gold Medal Assortment in distinctive Watkins gift boxes for many years. It contains the 11 fl. oz. bottle of the Original Double Strength Vanilla, and 6 oz. tins of Cinnamon and Black Pepper. It carries the Gold Medal title because all three Watkins products have received gold medals at the World Fair. Unfortunately, there has been such a demand for the 11 oz. size of the Double Vanilla that there only a limited number still available. The Gold Medal Assortment is priced at $33.99. Is that too much to ask your customers to shell out? That does not stop the creative among us. Why not design your own Gold Medal Sampler? Find an attractive box (gold is a good choice for obvious reasons.) Then select 2 oz. bottles of Watkins Double Strength Vanilla Extract, add 2 oz. tins of the black pepper and a bottle of cinnamon. That way, the contents ($4.19 for the vanilla, $3.49 for the pepper and $4.98 for the cinnamon) will only cost your customers $12.66 if you throw in the cost for the box and bow. You can collect $3.17 for every box you sell with your 25% discount.

A perennial gift favorite that Watkins has been producing for some time are the Natural Sink Sets. It’s the perfect gift for your host or hostess. It comes it three scents: Lavender, Lemon and Aloe and Green Tea. Each set contains an 11 oz. bottle of liquid hand soap and hand & body lotion. The two bottles come in a distinctive black metal holder with the Watkins name engraved on black metal plate. $17.99 is a realistic price for such a handsome gift.

Let’s not forget your own holiday baking. You should have been at the Thanksgiving table of your manager Alan Lukes. He covers his yams with butter, brown sugar and Watkins cinnamon, then bakes them. What a heavenly aroma fills his kitchen! In the last 10 minutes of baking, Alan covers the yams with miniature marshmallows. Yum! 

The turkey gained its golden glaze and distinctive flavor with a mixture of Watkins Poultry Seasoning and All-Natural Grapeseed Oil. Adding to the turkey’s moisture, as well as a rich taste to the mashed potatoes, was Watkins Roasted Turkey Gourmet Gravy Mix. Guests will think it took hours to fix, but all you have to do is add water and simmer.

Don’t forget Watkins Gourmet Snack & Dip Seasonings. The Watkins General catalog offers a number of baking tips, such as stirring the Cucumber & Dill Dip mix into mash potatoes or sprinkle on your baked potatoes. We could go on. But don’t forget. You only have until Dec 11 to guarantee that your holiday shipment will reach your front door before Christmas. If you are planning your own Watkins holiday party, you better work on your order this week!

This year, we donated three Watkins gift baskets to our church Christmas bazaar. They are easy to make. Line your basket with red or green tissue paper. Fill the basket with an assortment of Watkins products. Make sure each one has your re-order information, and include a Watkins catalog with your name and contact information. Top it off with some realistic evergreens and pinecones. Here in Big Bear, we like to add a stuffed bear. We have a number of grandmothers in our church that fondly remember the Watkins label. Today, they also love our teddy bears for grandchildren!

Alan goes a bit Christmas-crazy this time of year. He’s in a state of depression because the exterior lights are yet to be up on the house. He likes to have them up the day after Thanksgiving. His house is known as the Beary Christmas Cottage, with its green exterior color, white trim and red front door. His kitchen tiles have images of Christmas trees, Santa, wreaths and holly. His depression does not lift until Big Bear is covered in snow. But above all, we never forget the true meaning of Christmas. Even though it’s still early in the month, let’s keep in mind why we celebrate Christmas every year.

Treat or Treat?

Just ring our toll-free doorbell and you will receive a treat that will brighten up your entire holiday season.



It’s a scary time out there. No wonder many people today are afraid to make any move that might cause the family finances to become even more catastrophic then they already are. Those who are employed, even part-time, are concerned that anything they do beyond jumping when the boss asks for anything will upset the applecart.

But even your boss must recognize that your limited salary can be stretched just so far to cover the increasing costs of gas, food and clothing to run a household. Therefore, he or she will applaud the initiative you took to begin your own home-based Watkins business that you can work on in the evening and weekends.

When your youngsters rang doorbells on Halloween, there was no guarantee that the treats they collected will be as good as they hoped. But with Watkins, there is a money-back guarantee that the $39.95 (plus tax) you shell out to become a Consultant of the 144-year-old company will be a good investment. If you are not completely satisfied after your first 30 days with the company, just call our toll-free number, and we will have your money back pronto.

We doubt that will be necessary. We are beginning the busiest and most profitable season for Watkins Consultants. First of all, you will immediately receive 25% off the retail price of all orders you place for holiday baking, entertaining and gift-giving. Certainly, there is a friend or family member on your gift-list who aspires to be a great chef, or at least the greatest one on the block. A perfect gift for that person is Watkins’Gold Medal Set containing our International award-winning vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper.  Normally, $33.99, you cost is only $25.49 when you sign up as a Consultant.  We also have a great assortment of nicely wrapped Gift Packages for your holiday gift giving.

We suggest one of the first events you plan is a fall harvest tasting reception/new business launch in your home, or have your best friend serve as host for the event. Certainly, the both of you can come up with the names of dozens of friends and family members planning their own holiday shopping list. Many of them may already be familiar with the Watkins brand, and jump at the opportunity of supporting you in your new venture. As your Watkins managers, we help you every step of the way with Watkins’ time-tested formula for such an event. Watkins men and women were holding these money-making events years before Tupperware was even born.  

You opened your door to all those little gremlins this Halloween, now it’s your turn to collect a great treat for yourself. Call us toll-free at 888-881-7372, or visit our website at www.BigBearCountryStore.co , to receive your guaranteed treat to enhance your family’s financial future.

 

 

 

Thinking Outside the Apple Basket

Why keep the delicious fragrance of apples confined to your kitchen?  It also can be a great addition to your bath.

It was a particular pleasure to pick the green apples off the tree in the back yard this year, its limbs arching downward with the weight of the abundant fruit. A good harvest indeed! I’ve learned that picking them while still green -- with just a blush of reddish pink -- will result in the best apple pie.  But the different varieties, and the high volume rolling down conveyor belts this fall, well, your local supermarket is an apple-lover’s paradise right now.

Before you think this blog will tell you how to make a perfect apple pie using Watkins Double-Strength Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, think again. This blog is about  the new Watkins Kids’ Juicy Sweet Apple Foaming Hand Soap.

I wish I could tell you why this is labeled a “Kids’ soap.” It was just my good luck that I discovered another great use for this amazing product. It creates the perfect shaving lather! There I was, standing in my skivvies; going through every drawer in the bathroom after all the oomph went out of my arousal can of shaving cream. Don’t you just hate that?

That’s when I noticed the Apple Foaming Soap on the sink, just egging me on to give it a try. I had my doubts. After all, I was well beyond childhood. Perhaps if I rubbed the sweet-smelling foam on my face and neck, the lather would cause my vocal chords to revert back to my pubescent state, when I sounded like that guy in the Four Seasons with the perfect falsetto, followed by an  anguishing year during which I couldn’t say a single sentence without my voice breaking. There went my singing career. At least I didn’t need to shave back then. But I digress.  

I very consciously applied the cool, white foam to my face, neck and – what-the-heck, you only live one life – my entire head to get rid of any sign of stubble. Then I took the blade, and let it glide down my face. Wow! Talk about amazing! The foam was just the right consistency needed, the perfect combination of liquid and soap that caused every single hair to stand up to be cut down without a fight. And the aroma! It immediately made me rush to the frig and slice up an apple!

Do kids still take apples to their teacher to get on her or his best side? 

Perhaps today a smart-thinking youngster might consider showing up for class with a bottle of Watkins Kids’ Juicy Sweet Apple Foaming Hand Soap, letting her know it will make her hands smell like a freshly sliced apple, or letting him know their dad uses the all-natural foaming liquid as the perfect alternative to destroying the ozone layer with an arousal can of shaving cream!

 

Ducks with Attitude

What can we all learn from these fuzzy little creatures?

 

Last week a clip was shown on the NBC "Today" show of a mother duck leading her gaggle of young ducklings across a multi-lane freeway, dodging speeding cars in a zig-zag path to the other side. The news crew gasped in disbelief as the row of tiny feather balls were tossed between lanes by strong gusts of wind from passing semis. It seemed like an impossible obsticle course that no trained professional could finish, let alone a duck attempting to lead her wee ones through it.

Yet she did, creating a national sensation. She also appeared on U-Tube, and quickly racked up thousands of hits. Watching the Today Show, I was reminded of the above photo and cover of a book published by Simple Truths, "Attitude is Everything." But  there was no mother duck this time to solve the dilemma, which was, "How in the heck are we gonna get out of this gutter?"

Then one of the nine ducklings stepped forward, took charge and scaled the cement wall. Web feet were designed to move swiftly through a pond, not surmount obstacles such as this. But success was achieved, brothers and sisters quickly following their leader. It’s the perfect image for the cover. It shows how one’s attitude impacts success, not only in life when facing challenges, but also in business when your attitude with your boss, co-workers and customers impacts your success. It's advantageous to have a sunny outlook. Doors open to optimists. They make friends, earn respect, close sales, produce loyal clients, and others want to be like them. The question is how can we do that consistently?
 

Simple Truths CEO Mac Anderson often asks, "Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?" Good question. If you are surrounded by co-workers who complain often, it brings you down, and can affect your mood and progress. But if you are working toward common goals with upbeat people who possess a positive attitude, you can't help but feel better and be more productive.

 

When Anderson was searching for an author on the subject, he turned to Vicki Hitzges, who speaks to large corporations around the globe about how to build better relationships, zap stress and conquer change. "Attitude is Everything" was her first book. It quickly became a best-seller, in which she shares her 10 secrets to developing a positive attitude, which could be reminders as well. Authors have been writing about attitude ever since Norman Vincent Peale penned his multi-million best seller, "The Power of Positive Thinking." Even though Dr. Peale died more than a decade ago, he must be somewhere smiling that the most popular of his 46 books is now one of Amazon.com's top sellers. It's also a hot hit on Kindle, of course.

 

Look at your own circle of friends, co-workers and associates. We all prefer positive people because it's no fun spending time with a person as chilly as an igloo. We enjoy warm, cheerful, upbeat people who believe in us, and remind us that tomorrow is ripe with possibility. We get that from Watkins folk all the time!

One of the most positive-thinking people we know is Watkins Bronze Executive Bonnie Campbell. Bonnie heads up our "Power Team." She joined Watkins because she loved the products and the discount on all her purchases just by being associated with the company. Then friends asked how they could get the same rewards. Bonnie was such an effective promoter that it didn’t take long to earn a monthly check just by telling others about the Watkins business opportunity. Today, she is one of the company's most successful women. It also helps that she resembles a Ms. America with a delightful Canadian accent, like a good will ambassador for our North American neighbors.

 

I had long admired people like Bonnie from afar, thinking that I was not smart enough, not well-connected enough, not familiar enough with business or sales to establish a part-time home business. In a former blog, I wrote that I was laid off from a full-time position in real estate education and well beyond my 50^th birthday when I first heard about Watkins. I learned about it from an individual with a special attitude toward life. He overcame many obstacles in his way, including life-threatening illness, by changing his way of thinking. I was very impressed with his "anything-is-possible" attitude. That’s why I went along with his suggestion to attend a Watkins training workshop on party-planning -- of all things -- because he thought it would provide insight about how the company operated.

It was at that Las Vegas workshop that we heard a top salesperson tell his Watkins story. Ed Williams seems oblivious to his impact on people. Here was a soft-spoken gentleman, who sounded like the elderly professor in the Hallmark commercial surprised when presented with a card by a former student, so influenced by his love of teaching that she decided to become a teacher herself.

Ed Williams has it. Alan Lukes has it. That’s one of the reasons Alan is my business partner, and one of the reasons we are among Watkins "All Stars," with a growing team of Watkins Consultants, and a successful sales record that also continues to grow every month.
 

 "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."   Charles Spurgeon 

For years I was side-tracked by anxiety, worry and self-doubt. Sure. I still get the wind knocked out of my sales (pun intended), like the first time I followed up on a Watkins business lead, who asked me to call back at a better time, then never responded to my voice-mails. Today, I have a much-improved attitude (and probably no hint of desperation in my voice), thanks to being associated with people like Bonnie and Ed and Alan.

Recently, a woman stopped by our Watkins booth at the local farmer’s market, and said she wanted a number of Watkins products on display, but they weren’t in her budget. I explained how she could get $150 in Watkins products just by inviting some friends over for a party. She thought about it for a few seconds, then replied, "I don’t have any friends. We just moved here. The house is too small. I wouldn’t know how to approach anyone."

This woman needed a serious attitude adjustment. It took some time and convincing, something I never could have done four short years ago before my introduction to J.R. Watkins' band of merry men and women. In just two weeks, this former shy and uncertain woman will be hostess of her very first Watkins"Kick Off to Fall Good-tastings Party." She's gonna be great! 

I bet you could come up with a list of people just looking for a reason to get together and party this fall. Give "Anything is Possible" Alan a call at 888-881-7372. Or myself, "Don't Let a Closed Mind be Your Biggest Enemy" David at 888-424-5211. We're both getting quite good at spotting the makings of a fellow All-Star! 

 

　

　

 

This uncertain economy has created numerous individuals, who have taken a step backward in what they thought was the right direction for their career. Others are floudering, afraid of making any decision about the future, fearing it might be a wrong one. Even going so far as saying, "I think I'll just stay home on November 2nd, and wait for the outcome of the election to see what happens." That's like turning your car over to a stranger because you haven't figured out how to use your smart phone's GPS feature.

 

And then there are some feathered friends-to-be out there just itching to find something that has proven to work year-after-year, through tough economic times as well as good. Imagine the rewards that could come by showing fellow grounded friends and family members how to fly to a better climate.

Well, we just happen to have such a proven course that can show the way. It bears repeating. Please call Alan at 888-881-7372. Or David at 888-424-5211. Our biggest reward doesn't come from the additional residual income we receive every month. But from those days when we see old attitudes begin to change, watch as a new Watkins Consultant receives a pair a wings, and then begins to show others how to fly.