Spring Cleaning
Was Never This Easy

So easy, in fact, a Vanderbilt might try her hand at it!

Hello there. This is Mrs. Vanderbilt. Someone told me that J.R. Watkins has a line of safe, natural home care cleaners to make my own home spotless while receiving 25% off the retail price of all 350 Watkins products. Is that true?

That’s right, Mrs. Vanderbilt, and just in time for spring cleaning. An initial $39.95 membership in the All Natural Country Store’s Wholesale Shopping Club will save you 25 cents off every dollar spent on some 350 Watkins products, including its award-winning double-strength Vanilla, Cinnamon and Black Pepper. Watkins has just introduced a set of glass-bottled spices that might make you think about eliminating your cook as well. Just click on Join Us to learn more about this wonderful offer.

Wonderful! I’ll send the chauffeur over with my check right away.  If I’m saving 25%, I would like to order one of everything Watkins carries. Is that possible?

You betcha, Mrs. Vanderbilt. No need to have your man drive down here. I know one of our local Watkins consultants would be more than happy to come by with that order.

That’s even better! You also can reduce my gas bill! Just have your Watkins man buzz me when he arrives. By the time the elevator reaches the penthouse, I can have another check ready for the total.

Many believe in a better world, keeping it a green for the next generation. We feel that way, too. It is one of the reasons we became involved in Watkins in the first place.

Yes, it’s good to know that you can earn extra money to help your family make ends meet. But you may not know that a company has been in existence since 1868, helping thousands of people from one generation to the next do just that.

It was nearly 145 years ago that J.R. Watkins came up with the idea of a company that would actually sell its Pain Relieving Liniment door-to-door, thereby making it unnecessary to buy expensive advertising or hire a marketing firm to spread the name of Watkins throughout the growing country. After all, it was a young country. It was the time for a better way of doing business.

Your parents or grandparents may remember the Watkins man coming to their front door once, maybe twice, a month with his brief case loaded with products created with the finest ingredients that avoided anything that would be harmful to the household, or would hurt the environment in any way. Many call Watkins the first company in America devoted to making the world a better place -- a green world — through one satisfied customer at a time.

J.R. Watkins also came up with the idea of providing a 100%, money-back guarantee to any customer, who was unsatisfied with a Watkins product after using it for 30 days. No questions asked; well, maybe telling the Watkins rep how the company might improve the product to make it better for others.

Yes, doing the right things right. Protecting the one world we were given, introducing new ideas that would lead to a better way of business, and passing along a profit from the products back to the very men and women, who sold the products to their customers.  Who could argue with a company that was built on such a philosophy, and practices it to this very day?

Now, it’s our turn. Join hands with today’s ever-evolving company, one of the few that continues to reformulate its products to be called natural by such leading organizations as the Natural Products Association. What a way to make yourself feel better, not only by helping your family, but by helping their families live in a better world. That’s what Watkins can do. That’s what we call it downright amazing!

M

 

any times we are asked by individuals, who visit our Watkins booth at public events, “What gets you so excited about these products?” That question can turn into an hour-long discussion. The first thing that jumps into my mind, of course, is the quality of  Watkins products.

Second would be the growing list of all-natural items in our product lines. And third would be the strong name of Watkins itself, a company that has been growing its brand recognition since 1868.

But this morning, I received this posting from our Watkins silver manager Melody Thacker that made me think of another measurement of success — that is the support, encouragement and motivation we receive from our upline management team. Whenever Melody comes across anything she feels that will cause  us to burst our buttons, she sends    it on to all of us. Upline managers gain from   the success  of  their     downline, but we always know that all of us will achieve more by working together.  The more motivated every member of the team is, the more successful we all are.

The particular quote above by Maya Angelou that Melody sent succinctly sums up how all of us associated with Watkins feel about this amazing company, and upon which we have established our own part-time businesses. It can be a challenge to convince others to  join our team, and share in our success. But in the meantime, we all achieve extreme satisfaction knowing that we are helping improve the health of our customers, as well as contributing to America’s all natural movement.

Are you happy with what you are doing to help your family through the difficult times? Watkins may be part of the answer. Call us at 888-881-7372. ~

 

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.