This is kinda 4 blogs in one.? I just kept a running?journal and decided to post all at once.??What a BLAST!!?

October 26, 2007?

Mompreneurs Weekend Getaway!

(Friday)

Today has been quite a crazy day already.? This is the weekend of the Mompreneurs getaway in PA so I’m sitting here at the airport waiting for my flight.? My morning started like this… I had an email waiting for me this morning from Taiwan giving me the FedEx Tracking number of my first pre-production samples!! YIPEE!!!? I am so excited and scared to death!? They just HAVE to be right!? I have had samples of my Grill Charms™ by themselves but pre-production samples are samples of the whole kit and caboodle.? (The complete set, in the packaging, with my graphics, all set and ready to go)? They are like the true “dress rehearsal” before doing a full production run.? I know when they get here I’m going to be terrified to open them.? He has sent 2 complete boxes and if they are to my liking, then we will do our first production.? If there is something wrong… (I don’t even want to think about it) but if there is something wrong, then that means more time and more money.? So that was at 8:00 this morning.? Then at 9:00 I got a phone call from a local reporter doing a story based on my Mompreneurs Press Release.? Yesterday I received an email from the editor asking if they could interview me for the story.? I had suggested 2:00 yesterday afternoon (during nap time of course) but he had asked if this morning would be okay.? “Certainly” I said… (I don’t ever want to inconvenience the press!) My flight is at 12:16, so after emailing Taiwan about how happy I was to hear the news about my pre-production samples, I put on Dora… or was it Oobie? anyway, I put the kids in front of the TV and hopped in the shower real quick.?? Okay… You know me… the queen of TMI, but I’ve got to keep it real here… I knew I’d be nervous on the phone with the reporter and I didn’t want to “pit” my outfit I was wearing to PA, so to keep calm and cool I did my interview locked away in my home office upstairs in my “unmentionables”.? The interview went really well I THINK and I don’t think she could tell that I sweating bullets half naked while my girls were downstairs jumping on my bed just one wrong move away from the emergency room!? My husband (and biggest fan) was down there managing the situation so I wasn’t too worried.? ?

So now here I am at the airport with a little more stress.? My husband is a pilot, so I fly free…? That’s only a good thing when you actually get on a flight!? We are always stand-by which is an adventure all unto itself.? Right now I’m trying to get on the direct Philly flight, which is now delayed 30 minutes and oversold.? I have learned from years of experience though, that this doesn’t mean I won’t get on, it just means that the next 30 minutes are nail-biters.? Will I make it???? Will I not??? Will I have to go through Charlotte? Maybe DC?? Will I get there today?? Maybe tonight?? Maybe tomorrow?? So here I sit typing away trying not to think too much.? Oh, while I was here I did get another little ounce of business taken care of.? I scheduled an appointment with my patent attorney.? The final draft of my utility patent is ready for my signature, so I’ll do that Monday while the kids are in mother’s morning out.? Of course she said “make sure and bring a check!”? I wouldn’t dream of arriving empty handed.? Okay, I guess that’s all I have for now…? I’m probably just going to keep a running blog all weekend and post it all at once on Monday.? I can’t wait to get up there!? Actually, just sitting here alone at the airport is kinda fun.? The girls are at Chuck-E-Cheese with daddy, mommy has some “me time”, life is good! Now if I can just get on that flight!!! To be continued…..?Yipee!? I made it!!? (First try I might add!)?

October 27, 2007

Saturday

Here I am in the hotel with my roomies Janene (Trending Solutions) and Susan (Ebizgirl).? Today we went to QVC Studios for a studio tour and it was a hoot!? What a well oiled retail machine!? It was a riot, halfway through the tour someone in the group (not ours) asked our tour guide how the vendors get on QVC.? The guide made mention of the product searches and made a comment about Oprah doing her search there.? Of course I had to pipe up and say “I was here for that!!”? She then said “Oh, do you have a product?”? And I said “Why yes I do as a matter of fact….” And went into a 60 second infomercial!? It was soooo funny!? We are having such a great time.? Dinner last night was unbelievable.? We went to a really nice steak house down the road and tonight, it’s Italian, yum yum!? It was so nice to sleep in and not have to worry about getting anyone’s breakfast but mine.? ?

October 28, 2007

Sunday

I am back in Charleston already!? Where did the weekend go???!!!? Yesterday afternoon we took a tour of a local winery and Susan discovered that she actually likes it! ?She was particularly excited because that meant she could partake in her new favorite variety with dinner.? We had such a blast during dinner and got tons accomplished.? He worked at a feverous pace in planning the next getaway. (Maybe
Chicago in the spring) There is an entire itinerary that will be sent to Pat and Ellen to look over. ?This morning we took a field trip to the Philly Ikea.? That in itself takes a full weekend!? My flight was at 2:00 so I was dropped off at noon to leave plenty of time to get through airport security while they went into downtown
Philadelphia.? All weekend I was amazed at the wonderful ideas and knowledge that was shared.? We took turns stating a problem or issue in our companies and we would collectively brainstorm until we came up with a solution… or at least beat the issue to death!? I think in 1 comment Janene single handedly increased Susan’s business, built brand loyalty and solved her staffing issue all at the same time!? There were eureka moments through-out the weekend.? I know I have a lot of work to do implementing all the fantastic ideas that were thrown around.? I needed to have my notepad out and ready at all times.? It just amazed me what the collective mommy mind can accomplish!!? See y’all next year!!!?

October 29, 2007

Monday

It’s 9:11 and the FedEx guy just left.? I can’t look….? Jason has the box half way opened and the girls needed some more apple slices, so he is too preoccupied with them.? So there the box sits…? Oh, I need to take a picture, hold on…. Alright… I’m going to tell him to take them out…(I feel sick… he’s giving me the fake drum roll…)? OMG THEY LOOK AWESOME!!!!? They look BETTER then they did in my head!!? I can’t believe it!!!? Boy oh boy do I have tons to do…? Uh-oh… I’m late taking the kids to school, not time to celebrate, gotta go!!!?

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charmsâ„¢? www.grillcharms.com