For a long time, I wrote notes on them in pencil and kept them on my desk.  After they became scattered, I rubber banded them with a tag of where I met the person.  Then I have stacks and stacks of them from the various events.  They became unmanageable.

In my 100 Days to Abundance class, I was introduced to the concept of CRM or Customer/Client Relation Manager.  Wow!  A place for all this paper that I can keep and access with ease!  I hired out a Virtual Assistant to enter the data into my software and bammer, now I don’t have to keep track of all those pieces of paper!  I found Highrise was the FREE product for my use.

Just read a LifeHacker blog post on using your Smart Phone and Google Goggles, a free app to upload directly into software.  AMAZING!

How do you plan on storing those cards for future reference?

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

The details are what set my drawings apart from a photograph.  I can eliminate the unsightly things, the cars, the parking spaces, the benches or trashcans.  You can tell that this office is part of something bigger, but the focus in on the office.

Send me your place of business.  I guarantee you will love the end results!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

What does Benjamin Franklin have to do with pen & ink illustrations?  Time management.

I am in the unique position, as a solo-preneur, that all is done by me.  The marketing, materials purchase, client acquisition, sales, production, delivery and the financials.  All in a 6 hour day, minus the running to and from networking events.  The traditional way of handling an over-abundance of work has been to simply drop out of networking events.  i complete the work, then there is no more work, as I have not been networking.  That all had to end.  I am working well into my third year of business.  That is not a way to run a small business, profitably.

In comes Mr. Ben Franklin.  Looking at a page from one of his many books, you can clearly see that he was a huge proponent of allocating so many hours to work, rest, dining and reflection.  He also asked himself, “What good have I done?”  That is a huge question to ponder while falling asleep.

I am dividing my day into set blocks of time, using my http://e.ggtimer.com/ as a check, to keep me on track.  I use Google Calendar.  I can share my calendar with my husband and daughter.  I have categories of YD&M, Family, Personal and other.  We all know who is where and it can be accessed from my Android Smart Phone.

Well, Mr. Franklin, you were a Founding Father of your Country, an Inventor, a Printer and saved Your Door & More!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

I am taking the 100 Days to Abundance at Team Nimbus, with Bill Davis.  In the process of the class, you learn to look at your relationships as more qualitative rather than quantitative.  Who gives you the most referrals?  Rather than who has the most business cards in their box or the most friends on Facebook, Inside919, Women’s Power Network or LinkedIn?  I am growing my relationships, learning about the people, in a genuine way.  Most likely referrals will grow from that, but people have so much more to offer than referrals; advise, suggestions, mentorship, friendship.

I recently went to an after-hours type networking event.  The emphasis was not on card pushing but…how can I help your business grow.  I did receive a few cards but not been overloaded with email sales pitches.  There is a fine line between building business relationships and accumulating cards.

How do you feel about people that do the hard sale on you?  Personally I am REALLY turned off.  My goal is to grow a friendship, ask questions, let the other person talk and listen to what they say.  Business will naturally come up.  I strive for that balance, how about you?

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

Those connections to the past are priceless.  I too remember the home I grew up in, Windsor Connecticut.  The house was actually built by my father.  I had 2 brothers and two sisters.  We had 9 acres of land, it was a ranch with a full basement and walk-out two car garage.  Pale-blue hardy plank shake siding and a root cellar under the front porch for canned goods.  Dad was organic before it was cool and we had a 2 acre garden.  We canned and froze all from the garden and ate from that all winter-long.  We too had family pets buried in the yard, and when he installed an in-ground pool, we all pressed our hands in the wet concrete.  It holds bitter-sweet memories for me too!  After many years, my parents divorced and my father died.  I don’t have a good picture of it, need to get one for myself!

Where did you grow up?  Is it the house that built you?  Click on the picture to see the video, its very moving!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

The House That Built Me

I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama’s dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Major Jason Railsback & his wife, Major Greta Railsback are on their second deployment.  Jason is the Battalion Executive Officer for the 20th Engineer Battalion.  His battalion is in charge of route clearance patrols for his region, daily activities of the battalion, and supervises all battalion staff sections.   Greta works at United States Forces - Iraq Headquarters located in Baghdad at Camp Victory in the Force Headquarters.  She does the General/Flag Officer and senior leader management for USF-I and personnel planning and operations for the Iraq Theater.

No photograph did not pose a problem for me; I have completed illustrations using Google Maps – Street View.   I just needed the address and presto, a great street shot of the home.  She had a few candid pictures from Facebook too.  OK, I can do this, with the combination of the various pictures, no problem.  I found the image, created a screen shot and off I went drawing.

Upon completion, I emailed a proof.  She forwarded it onto her Mother, as her Mom had visited this summer.  Jolie informed me that I had illustrated the wrong home!  What?  I investigated further and found that Google Maps was incorrect.  The entire street was off and I drew the neighbor’s home.

Well, this was a first, the wrong house, with the right address.  I am deep into December, and with no time to back track, I have established a first-come, first-serve queue.  I am able to that way; give a ‘promise by date.’  I maintain tight deadlines during December; people are giving illustrations as gifts.  I told Jolie that I would need to put her on the bottom of the pile.  She agreed to wait, as she was actually emailing the illustration to her Brother, and Kabul, Afghanistan is nearly 18 hours ahead of East-Coast Time.  Printing, matting and framing were not necessary.

I pushed on with my other illustrations and was able to come back to Jolie’s gift.  The correct house was found and sketched.  Another proof was emailed and confirmed to be correct.  That neighbor is actually caring for the home too, which is ironic.  She proposed to actually have her Brother purchase the illustration from me and give to the neighbor as a ‘thank-you gift.’  I thought that was a wonderful idea!

I actually decided to donate the illustration to her Brother & Sister in-law.  They are both soldiers who are giving service to our country.  That is a wonderful and gracious thing to do.  I thought I could honor their work by contributing mine.

Christmas morning, Major Jason Railsback & his wife, Major Greta Railsback are able to feel a bit of their Texas home love.

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

The day after Thanksgiving, I got all my Christmas decorations out, tree up and the home set.  My gifts were mostly purchased.  Unfortunately the kids kept changing their lists.  I had already decided that I would send New Year’s cards instead of Christmas cards from the Priest Family and from Your Door & More.  I had hired someone to cut and fold the cards too.  All the work was done for the Apex Historical Society Christmas card sale.  My ducks were in a row.  Orders were pouring in and I was ready.  Still I was caught unprepared!

I had some late night sessions, a few tears but all-and-all it was a great year for Your Door & More.  I sold more 5″ x 7″ and 8″ x 10″ portraits than cards this year.  I think that people are not sending as many cards this year, as postage is up from last year and people are cutting back.

I have taken a hiatus for a few days to celebrate with my Family.  I am not back in the saddle, and starting on posting each and every drawing that I have sketched this season.  Everyone has a story behind it, a feeling and a purpose.  I love telling the story of each one!

We also have had a rare beautiful winter storm that blew into North Carolina.  With 8 inches of snow on the ground I am looking out the window and seeing the beauty all around me!

Merry Christmas!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

As a member of the Holly Springs Chamber, we were asked to come and represent local businesses.  I attended a wonderful luncheon and speeches by Mayor Sears,  Commissioner Lindy Brown and others from Rex.  It will bring jobs, proximity to health care and a definable plus for the growing town of Holly Springs.

Welcome to the neighborhood Rex Health Care

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

I visited with MarySue Lane, she is the committee chair of the card project.  She kept the schedules on track and me on the straight and narrow.  She had a nice display in the back of the store.  She actually sold a package of cards.  She was delighted!  A few of the Apex Historical Society members were there and I overheard, “oh, that’s the girl that sketched the buildings!”  I was honored and a bit humbled.

The Rusty Bucket was packed this weekend!  I popped in for a visit and a browse through the Christmas decorations that was laid out.  All I can say is WOW!  It was quite an effort put forth by Mack and Pam Thorpe, owner and shopkeepers.  I was tempted to run home, dump all my personal holiday decorations in the trash can and start over fresh.  Alas, I did not.  I did make a few small purchases to add to my collection.

Stop by the shop in downtown Apex and take look at the cards, and the goodies in the shop!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

This is my first venture into retail sales.  I am so excited about it.  The packages will be sold in sets of 10, with 2 cards each in the packages, envelopes included for $12.00.  If all are sold, the Apex Historical Society will stand to make over $3,000.  Over the next few years, we will be releasing more historic sites in Apex.   We will offer a Holiday version of the cards with wreath, ribbons and bows on the homes and a non-Holiday version too.

The kick off of the event will be Friday 5-9, Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-3 at The Rusty Bucket, at the Christmas Open House.  Please come down and visit,  will be signing the cards all weekend.

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More