Wow! It's been a crazy, exciting couple of days. I'm so sorry I haven't blogged sooner. So I will warn you....this will probably be a VERY long post.
I honestly feel like a Rock Star!!!
General Session on Thursday was phenomenal! Shelli welcomed us all...and brought tears to our eyes...a convention tradition. We also enjoyed a wonderful, inspirational presentation from our Key Note Speaker, Sue Rusch. There was a bit of stamping by Bonnie and Jill. They were so cute together on stage. Apparently they've been friends for years. Bonnie shared an absolutely adorable cupcake kit....complete with gluten-free cupcake props (more on them later).
Thursday was also the day for the "Milestone Parades". I was in one of the two. I marched across stage to be recognized for selling $100,000 in my career as a demonstrator. I reached this goal back in December and received a $1,000 cash bonus from Stampin' Up! THANK YOU!!! My dear friend, Kelly, said that Wild Wasabi is my color! This picture is of me walking up the ramp to the stage.
I rushed through lunch because I needed to be ready for my first presentation by 12:30. SO MUCH FUN! I quickly got my table set up. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night gremlins have been known to steal things from the tables. So, we get to set them up each and every day. How sad. After the table was set up, we got our microphones put on. Better make sure you've used the bathroom BEFORE the microphone is put on! Next stop is makeup. I've enjoyed getting to know the makeup artist. She's the wife of the Stampin' Up! employee who runs the show. She is a former employee herself. I wanna take her home with me. She makes me look SO pretty. This photo was actually my SECOND touch-up of the day!
I was pretty nervous for my first presentation. The audience thankfully laughed at my jokes, snapped photos of my projects (whew), and applauded often. Not bad for the first time. During my second presentation, my downline, sidelines, and Mike were in attendance. After sailing through my first presentation, I relaxed and enjoyed myself more often. And, my dream came true. Do you remember how I've said for years that I have always hoped to get up on stage and use way too much adhesive? Well, I did! And, they all gasped! I then proceeded to thank them for making my dream come true. I think my second presentation has been my best so far. Heather snapped this photo of me on the Big Screen!!! And here's another of me on stage. That's Tom, the SU cameraman, over my left shoulder. It was a comfort to have him up there.
After leaving, Mike and I went to the Blue Iguana. It's a fabulous Mexican Restaurant we like to visit every year. We snuck in early to beat the crowds. Several of the tables stopped to tell me how much they enjoyed my presentation. Wow! They recognized me! The Stampin' Up! employees kept stopping me to tell me how much they enjoyed my presentation. It was SO flattering to be recognized! Oh, and remember that cupcake that I mentioned Bonnie had. She shared more with us backstage! Gluten free chocolate cupcakes are yummy!
Then it was time to prepare for Awards Night. I tried to stay calm. I knew that I was in the Top 100 Demonstrators, but I had no idea if I was #1 or #100. Granted, I was absolutely positive that I was not #1. It wasn't my goal to be #1. I had the honor of sitting with Michelle Zindorf. She's in my larger stamping group. She also earned some sort of award. While chatting, I realized it was her "Rising Star Year". Each year Stampin' Up! recognizes and awards the top 15 new demonstrators in their first full year of being a demonstrator. I knew that Michelle had signed up recently. And, when she told me that it had been a year and a half. And, when she told me her sales and recruits, I knew she had a pretty good shot. Well, I was thrilled to watch her surprise and delight when she was named the #1 Rising Star!!! Unlike me, she doesn't analyze the numbers. I'm sure you're familiar with Michelle. She's the creator of those gorgeous brayer cards. I'm looking forward to spending 5 days with her in St George this fall. She and I marched across stage, hand-in-hand, for the Alaska Incentive Trip parade. I don't have a photo of that...yet. I know Mike has one.
FINALLY, it was time for them to countdown the Top 100 demonstrators. I had no idea where I would fall. Some people sold about 3-4 times the amount I did last year. And, the top recruiters recruited 4 times the amount I did. It made me scratch my head and wonder if a mistake had been made. Michelle and I both wondered. So, the countdown began. They name them in groups of 10, take a photo, then move on to the next 10. And it began.....100 through 91 were announced...but not me. 90 through 81 were announced....but not me. 80 through 71 were announced....but not me. At this point I admitted to Michelle and Mike that my secret goal was to be in the Top 50. But, I really didn't think that would happen. Mike could actually see the teleprompter so he knew who was coming next. I couldn't stand it. I didn't want to read it. I wanted to hear my name announced. So, 70 through 61 were announced....but not me. By this time I was hyperventilating. I couldn't believe it. Surely, a mistake had been made. 60 through 51 were announced....but not me. OH MY GOSH! That meant I was in the Top 50!!! My friends were feverishly e-mailing our co-demonstrators home on the east coast who were waiting up to hear the results. I think I had 40 e-mail by the end of the night. So....50 through 41 were announced....but not me. HOLY COW! 40 through 31 were announced....BUT SERIOUSLY???? NOT ME!!! (Obviously, a math error has been made.) Then it happened. They announced...At #30 from Elmer, NJ...Kristin Kortonick. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Was I just named the #30 Demonstrator of the Year?!?!?! The next few moments all happened in slow motion. I walked to the front of the stage, took the hand of one of Shelli's sons-in-law and started to climb the steps. Dale, the president of SU, took my hand next and handed me a rose. But, what I saw...in slow motion...was something very similar to that scene in A Christmas Story. You know the one? It's when the little boy climbs the stairs to see Santa and it all moves in slow motion. All he can see is Santa's face REALLY big calling out ho-ho-ho. Granted, those weren't the words Dale was saying, but that was my exact thought as I climbed those steps. I then walked over to Shelli who gave me a big hug....said a bunch of words....the only ones I remember were of her complimenting my dress and the ruffles. She was wearing a GORGEOUS, black ruffly dress, too! The other 9 demonstrators in our group were named, our photo was taken, and we were escorted from the stage. It was then that I cried. See, my Sam was waiting for me at the base of the ramp - arms open wide. She gave me the biggest hug and congratulated me. She has cheered me on for the past two years. Challenged me. Encouraged me. I just LOVE her. I could not have gotten where I was today without her. She had known for about a week what the standings were and said she was thrilled when she saw where I landed. Holly quickly joined us for a huge hug. What an absolutely amazing night! This is the only photo I have...so far...Mike took TONS of photos. But, he's off checking out National Parks for the next two days.
There was a concert that followed the Awards Night - Charlie Jenkins - I believe. I really should know - I got to meet them backstage as they were arriving and I was packing up to leave the Green Room for the night. They were all so very nice. They had a fantastic entrance - they drove their big ol' bus right out into the Main Stage area. I am bummed that I missed it, but my downline member, Kristin, was pulled up on stage at the end. I'm glad she got on stage! But, I told her it doesn't count. She doesn't want to listen to me!
So, that was my Thursday. Okay....feel free to go and get a drink, stop by the restroom, because now I'm going to share about my Friday. I warned you it would be lengthy!
Today started early...and I could tell I was getting sick. I had to get to the convention center before 7am so that I could drop off my presentation supplies in the Green Room then make my way back outside to wait for the 7am breakfast with Shelli and members of the corporate team. I believe they said that 250-300 of us were lucky enough to enjoy breakfast. We qualified if we recruited at least 1 new demonstrator during a program called "Recruit Crew". I honestly don't remember how many I had.
We were then brought through a side entrance into the Main Stage area before everyone else. Most people sat up front, but I took my normal seat in the back in the bleachers. As the time approached for the doors to open, I took up a spot just inside the doors with my camera. It's not every day that a demonstrator gets to enjoy that view! Take a look at that second photo. Everyone's blurry because they are SPRINTING to their favorite seat!
There was A LOT of stamping in today's General Session. It was great! Tons of ideas that I have all of the best intentions of recreating! And, there was another parade! I marched for having sales of $40-50,000 this year. I was about $900 shy of my goal of $50,000. But, there's always next year! But, thank you to all of my customers for that impressive achievement!
After a quick lunch, I headed over to repeat the prep process for the presentations. Today's first presentation went well. However, it was downhill after that! I was lounging and chatting backstage and realized I'd forgotten to reset my table. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to the other end of the stage, my table was already up there! Ooops! I quickly caught my new best friend, Dan, and told him. And, he told me that I would just have to go up on stage and reset up there...in front of everyone! Thankfully I don't have a lot to reset for each presentation. But, Dan is my new best friend because he loaned me a makeshift belt yesterday to keep my pants up. It's actually a prop for the game show tomorrow. It was one of those woven belts. It worked great! Today he gave me some black rope that I wrapped around my waist a couple of times. BIG mistake! About 5 minutes before I was due to get on stage, I realized I needed to use the restroom. I think I scared the gal who gives me my cue to walk on stage. I reassured her that I could hold it. But, my biggest flub of the week so far was today's second presentation. I forgot the key "ah-ha" moment in my presentation. It wasn't until I was wrapping up that I remember. Everyone tells me that I recovered well and transitioned nicely.
It's that ah-ha moment in my presentation on which people have been commenting. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for it. The highlight of my day came while I was checking out at Memento Mall (for the third time). The person checking me out complimented my presentation. He also told me that he thought that some of the ideas I shared were great! I was so flattered. I asked him what he does for Stampin' Up! Apparently he runs Stampin' Up! in France! WOW! What a compliment that was coming from him!
Between sessions today (since I have about an hour or so between mine), I wandered over to the display boards. But, while I was approaching, I saw a woman feverishly taking notes while watching the recruiting interviews....and I was the demonstrator on the screen at the time!!! WOW! It was also fun to watch people pause and do a double-take as they realized that I was the person on the screen. So many people continued to congratulate and say how much they learned from my presentation. That was SO rewarding. I hope that they were able to gain something from my presentation. The highlight of my conventions is always hearing other successful demonstrators. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm now considered to be one of them!
The display boards this year were awesome! My new buddy, Paula, was in charge of setting up the Color Confections booth. WOW! Everything in it was made using paper and embellishments. It definitely looked good enough to eat. Paula is the person who leads me up to the stage, gets me whatever I need, reminds me to use the bathroom, and greets me with a smile and a glass of water as I leave the stage. I LOVE Paula! There's a photo of me with her trapped on Heather's camera.
Well, I think that just about sums up my day. It's taken me over an hour to compose this post! Thanks for making it this far! But, I can't wait to share about tomorrow! My presentation is immediately following the first General Session of the day. That means that I need to be backstage while the session is going on. What fun will that be!?!?! I also get to see all of the demos enter Main Stage again in the morning! Wow! What a convention it has been!!! But, to be honest, I'm looking forward to being just a plain old demonstrator next year.
