Trading Skills

Today I attended a Mary Kay training session conducted by a multimillionaire national sales director (NSD). She spoke on mental attitude and how we become what we think about. Although I’d never heard of her, I could see why the others had excitedly waited for her visit. She was knowledgeable and motivating and responded well to the rock star treatment.

My goal for two years as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant has been to qualify as a sales director, and most of the “red jackets” in the room shared the same goal. The NSD’s talk focused on how we could make it happen. At one point, someone asked when she planned to write a book, and she said she’d been working on one for several years but needed help. She then asked, “Are there any writers in the room?” I raised my hand and she told me she’d give me an hour of her time in return for an hour of mine.

After the meeting, I handed her my business card and told her I also edit manuscripts. Her response was, “I’ve been praying for an editor.” She asked me what she needed to do first and I said finish the draft of the book. She told me, “I’ll help you become a sales director and you help me get my book published; is that a deal?” I said yes. Her closing comment that “we’ll go on Oprah together” I took as a joke until she said she’s already been invited. The helping-her part doesn’t bother me at all; I can easily do that. But her helping me is a scary thought; what will she require me to do to become a sales director by June?

My point in writing this is that we all have skills that might be needed by other people, where a swap could be mutually beneficial. I never dreamed a classy multimillionaire NSD would want to trade skills with me. What help do you need, who could provide it, and what could you give that person in return?

www.marykay.com/ddiekman

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