She Didn’t Want to Be at The Mercy of The Big Guys

Tracey Eno found herself needing justice, but she found it cost too much. Later she found a way for everyone to have access to legal services for a small monthly fee.

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Being A Mom Was More Important Than Glamour

by admin on May 6, 2010

in Organic, Skin Care

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A few months ago I attended my first Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours as a business owner. I found out later there are specially designated ambassadors to recognize new people (like me) and start them mixing and connecting with other business men and women.

The first person everyone wanted me to meet was Victoria Ronan, Arbonne Consultant, who also started the “Women to Women” networking group within the Chamber.

Tall, slender and attractive with her short brown hair framing her face, Victoria seems to be the center of attention at any networking function I attend. Other women are drawn to her, I assume because of her passion, energy and personal attention to others. When I think of Victoria, my mind’s eye sees her tossing her head back with an easy going laugh as she reaches out to touch the arm of the person speaking to complete her connect to them.

We met at the Prince Frederick Panera Bread Friday morning. We scheduled the meeting so each could attend to our children first – putting them on the bus for school or dropping them off at daycare. Her two children, Jack, 6, and Sofia, 4, factor heavily into the life and career decisions she’s made in the last three years.

As she began talking about her life and background, I was caught up in the glamour of her New York City life as a voice over talent agent for a prestigious agency while being married to a chef.

Who willing walks away from a life rubbing elbows with celebrities, taking them to Broadway shows and showing them the NYC night life?

“Post 9-11 world in New York got to be very stressful. It took us five years to sell our apartment and figure out where we wanted to go. My brother ended up in Calvert from Florida and my sister moved from New Jersey to Calvert a year later. It made sense to move where we had family.”

Prior to the move, Victoria spent 13 years building her own department within Paradigm, a world renowned talent agency. She recruited celebrities to voiceover commercials, books on tape and promos. “In the entertainment business it is all your roster, and I had built up an impressive roaster. But I just walked away. The entertainment industry is not a family friendly industry. I was expected to take clients and producers to Broadway shows and restaurants to woo them. Most of the people I worked with didn’t have kids of their own.”

Her children were very young then and between her husband, John’s career as a chef and hers in entertainment, it was hard to be the type of mom she wanted to be. So the move to Calvert was not only a physical move, “it was a new journey into careers too.”

John “hung up his apron” and is currently working at the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C. Victoria’s main career is selling Arbonne products, but she’s very busy doing many other things as well.

As I’m finding out from other direct marketing consultants, Victoria didn’t start out dreaming she’d be selling Arbonne. She was a client first shortly after becoming pregnant with Jack.

“I have adult acne. When I became pregnant, they (the doctors) yanked me off all my medications for acne.” Victoria became curious about the connection between her medications and pregnancy, so she began to research. Her investigation led her to study the entire cosmetic industry. “It was more eye opening every day. Do you know that an average woman puts on 515 chemicals a day?”

In fact, according to Victoria, many of the chemicals allowed in shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and cosmetics allowed in the United States are banned in Europe, Australia and Canada. The founder of Arbonne, Petter Mork, first came to the United States from Switzerland in 1982 and was horrified that mineral oil is key ingredient of most skin moisturizers sold in the United States. “It doesn’t moisturize. It just sits on top of your skin.”

She became an independent consultant for Arbonne a year and a half ago when her husband was laid off from a job. She was looking to make extra money. “What started off as a band aid has become a passion for me.”

Although Victoria wants to become the first Vice President in Calvert County for the Arbonne direct marketing structure – a title which comes with a White Mercedes – it’s not all about the money for her. There are many other aspects about working for Arbonne which fuels her passion.

“I’m passionate about educating 30-40 women a month about why all natural and systematic products are a healthier and important way to live. If you know how many chemicals were in your product, you wouldn’t use them. It’s not about bashing other products, but it is important to let people know they aren’t being told about what’s in the products they buy.”

We talked about deodorant, which is not in the Arbonne products line, having 150 chemicals in it. “These chemicals are linked to Parkinson’s, Dyslexia, Alzheimer’s, breast cancer and thyroid conditions.”

Having worked for someone else for 13 years, Victoria feels working for Arbonne is “an incredible opportunity. The company is offering everything you need to make your dreams come true. You can make five figures a month and still be the mom you want to be.”

“I know how much money I made for my bosses. I grew an entrepreneur spirit. I didn’t want to be tied to a desk from 9 to 5. I didn’t want to make someone else wealthy.”

Victoria believes her previous career in the entertainment business helped her become a leader, learn to deal with her insecurities, to handle rejection and to develop an attitude of “you got to fake it to make it.” When dealing with celebrities, she had to develop a strong personality because they had strong personalities. She also knows that she didn’t win every contract or recruit every celebrity she went after in her agency days. From this she learned business is a numbers game. “You just keep talking and soon your number will come up.”

Her goal of holding six to eight workshops a month and getting in front of 30-40 women comes from what she learned in New York City. In fact, she makes these workshops a priority. She’ll run a workshop in someone’s home on the weekends, evenings or during the day. The workshops include pampering with the products such as hand scrub and facial masks. Although she will sell the products outside a workshop, the advantage to having or attending a workshop is the wholesale discount for the products.

I kept comparing what she was talking about to Mary Kay, which is one of my experiences with this direct sales or network marketing structure. Victoria pointed out that Arbonne has been around 30 years, but isn’t as widely recognized. Like other home businesses, Arbonne consultants “channel goods or services from the manufacturer to t he consumer through a ‘network’ of independent consultants,” according to their website.

This is actually another draw for Victoria. She likes the company’s philosophy of personal development and women empowering women. “Arbonne has a fit for you at any level – whether it is for the products, girlfriend time or a serious hardcore job.”

Victoria currently has six women in her “downline” and only knows of two other Arbonne sales consultants in Calvert County who are not part of her team. “Calvert County is a gold mine. I want to be the first VP in Calvert. I’m not looking for the white Mercedes as much as the money that comes with it. I’m also looking for a partner who has the same passions about the product and drive to fire her boss and still being the mom she wants to be.”

In return, Victoria mentors, coaches, and supports the other women on her team to reach their goals. “I’m at their beck and call until they tell me to go away. I only need to know they are committed, then I walk with them when they walk and run with them when they run.”

Victoria carries this philosophy outside the Arbonne structure too. She, along with another woman, started a women’s networking group which meets under the Chamber of Commerce umbrella. It doesn’t matter to her if the women are part of her team or not. She’s interested in empowering women who are worried about making their mortgage but also want to be at the bus stop when their kids get off the bus.

For more information about Victoria’s Arbonne business click here. For more information about the Women to Women networking group, click here.

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He Wants To Be The New Sheriff In Town

by admin on April 26, 2010

in Legal Services

Brian Smith is running for Calvert County Sheriff

He is the underdog – running for sheriff against Mike Evans, who was first elected to the position in November 2002. Mike is well known, well liked, well connected and well funded for a campaign. Calvert County still feels like a safe and quiet town. Why should I vote for this unknown newcomer Brian Smith?

That’s what I asked myself when he first introduced himself at a Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. Sometime during the evening, Brian and I exchanged introductions. Later that week I emailed Brian and asked to interview him for my blog. I wanted to know why I should vote for him.

Even though the morning was overcast with a bit of wind and a chill, we chose to sit outside my informal office, the Lusby Dunkin’ Donut. I arrived just moments before Brian -taking advantage of watching a tall broad shouldered man unfold himself from a small four door silver vehicle. He was about hundred feet away, but even at that distance, his smile dominated his presence.

I struggled with how to write this post. Should I start off retelling why Brian feels he should be the new sheriff? Or I could start off where he did during our visit – chronologically with his birthplace, early education, marriage, kids and finally into his 20 year law enforcement career.

Recalling the purpose of this blog, I decided to introduce to Brian Smith, the man who hopes to be sheriff. We talked for two hours. It was hard for me not to be swept up into his passion and energy – not just for his campaign, but life in general.

Brian’s family hosts minor league players for the Bowie Baysox minor league baseball team. He and his wife, Lisa and two sons, Tyler and Logan, have learned about the unglamorous world of professional baseball since 2001. They started taking in one to as many as three minor league baseball players at a time.

“We learned about the grit, determination, and how little money they make,” Brian said about the life of a minor league player. “We could charge rent, but we don’t charge rent. Instead we ask them to pay it forward. They are only there every other week during the season. I hope that if my boys needed a place to stay, someone would open their house to them.”

Brian named off a number of players who passed through the Smith house, some were called up to the majors, and some were sent down from the majors. Val Majewski continued to live with the Smiths even though he was playing in Baltimore for the Orioles. He eventually married a Calvert County girl, had a baby, and settled in New Jersey.

In addition to hosting minor league baseball players Brian has enjoyed coaching his son’s sports teams in Calvert County over the past 13 years. He has coached youth sports for Calvert County Parks and Recreation, Northern Calvert Little League, Calvert Soccer Association, and the Dunkirk Warriors Boys and Girls Club. Brian has also been a referee for the Maryland Basketball Officials Association since 2002.

The NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick (PPK) program is another passion for Brian. Boys and girls between the ages of eight and 15 compete in a skills competition based on passing, punting and kicking a football from a tee for distance and accuracy. He has volunteered and been involved in the NFL’s PPK since 2000 and has been state chairman since 2004, coordinating the Sectionals and Team Championships for the Redskins.

Brian attends Chesapeake Church with his family. Although he doesn’t have as much time lately, he used to be an active member of the church drama team, “ The Edge”, that previously performed drama scenes every Sunday and large productions once a year.

He has just started his twenty first year in law enforcement, working for the Maryland-National Capital Park Police (MNCPP). He began his career there after two years with the U.S. Navy and a short time as an EMT for a private ambulance company. Although he only served on active duty in the Navy for two years, he continued in the reserves until 1994, when he was honorably discharged.

Brian has served in a number of positions and areas of law enforcement during his tenure at MNCPP, which has jurisdiction in both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The organization patrols parks in both counties, which include the Show Place Arena, Discovery Soccer Plex, home of the Washington Freedom professional soccer team, and the former Capitol Centre.

He’s been a patrol officer, field-training officer, patrol sergeant, and detective sergeant, patrol commander, and Commander of Internal Affairs. He is currently a lieutenant serving as the Commander of Investigative Services managing all criminal investigations handled by the Park Police.

When he’s not busy hosting baseball players, running the NFL Pass, Punt and Kick program for the Redskins, involved in church, or working, Brian is attending Johns Hopkins University full time. He will graduate from Johns Hopkins on May 27, 2010 with Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a certificate in Leadership from The Police Executive Leadership Program (PELP). Brian will then begin studying for a Master of Science degree at Johns Hopkins University on June 04, 2010

According to Johns Hopkins University Public Safety Leadership website. The PELP program… “is an intense course of study for public safety executives leading to graduate and undergraduate degrees in management. The award-winning program has been cited as one of the premier public safety executive education programs in the nation. Currently in its fifteenth year, the program remains the flagship program for the division and serves as the model for all division programs.”

It is from his academic training and through his personal experience that he’s formed his leadership ideas about becoming a sheriff for Calvert County. One of his main plans is to bring COMPSTAT to Calvert to reduce crime and improve traffic safety. This policing model implemented by William Bratton of NYCPD in 1994 has four major four principles: 1) Accurate, timely data/information, 2) Rapid deployment of resources, 3) Effective tactics/strategies and 4) Relentless follow-up and assessment. The five objectives of the program are: 1) Reduce crime, 2) Reduce the fear of crime, 3) Reduce disorder, 4) Create an atmosphere of civility, and 5) Create a certainty that illegal activity will lead to arrest. (information from: Norfolk Police Department Website.

According to a 2004 Police Foundation Report “the adoption of Compstat is strongly related to a department’s expressed desire to reduce serious crime and increase management control over field operations.

According to Brian, St. Mary’s County implemented COMPSTAT in the last half of 2008 and has seen rapid results such as a 7.1 Percent decrease in crime in 2008 and a 9.7 percent decrease in crime 2009, despite the population increasing in St. Mary’s County both years. Calvert County’s population decreased in 2008 and crime increased by 19.5%. (see local news website for more info).

An article in Justice Quarterly discusses some of the pitfalls of the COMPSTAT model of policing, mostly in the failure to convince frontline personnel to buy into the process for achieving the department’s key goals and objectives. However, the same report concluded, “The findings and conclusions of the present study are not intended to disparage or advocate against the Compstat model of policing. Clearly, the model has merit and is well respected within the scholarly and professional communities.”

Brian is enthusiastic about being Calvert County’s next elected sheriff and implementing the COMPSTAT model in Calvert County. In addition, Brian has plans to increase efficiency and fiscal responsibility through the use of volunteer/reserve programs in the Sheriff’s Office, and is committed to making improvements with the citizen complaint process. These and his other solutions can be found along with his qualifications and experience to be our next sheriff on his website at http://www.briansmith4sheriff.com.

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She Didn’t Want to Be at The Mercy of The Big Guys

by admin on April 9, 2010

in Featured, Legal Services

Introducing Tracey Eno

You'll find Tracey Eno always talking to someone

We met at a Speed Networking Event sponsored by the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce. We had two minutes to get to know each other’s business. It wasn’t enough time to fully understand what she did, but it was enough time to be intrigued by the concept.

As a writer looking for interesting stories, I emailed her later that week and asked if I could meet with her and find out more about this Pre-Paid Legal Services, where a family can make a small monthly payment and have an attorney on hand. Having a background in insurance, the plan seemed like having an insurance policy for legal issues.

I find it ironic that Tracey and I met at a Speed Networking event which comes from the idea of speed dating. Participants move every few minutes to a new prospect hoping to find a connection. Although Tracey and I didn’t really “hit it off” that day, the next time we met at another function we really seemed to connect. The third time we met we lost track of time – talking four hours instead of two.

I asked her to tell me how she got into Pre-Paid Legal. It’s a compelling story.

Pre-Paid Legal Services

“You’re kidding me! I could’ve called an attorney and resolved this earlier and less expensively?”

Tracey learned the hard way how having an attorney a phone call away can save time, money and heartache.

She was four years into a five year lease with her massage therapy business when she received an eviction notice from her landlord. She didn’t take it seriously because she had a five year lease and had done nothing to void the contract. When she received the second notice to vacate the property, she hired a local attorney. He charged Tracey $225 to write a letter to the landlord. This didn’t stop the landlord from demanding that she leave. Tracey went back to the attorney who wrote the letter. He now wanted a $1,500 retainer fee to begin the process of helping Tracey fight the eviction. This was more than Tracey could afford, so she moved out.

One year later, she had relocated twice, stored her equipment, reprinted her business materials twice, lost clients and paid almost twice the cost per square inch for retail space. Her temporary office in the basement of the hospital was less than ideal forcing some of her clients to walk by the morgue if they entered the building the wrong way. The entire experience taught her that bad things do happen to good people.

Shortly after, Tracey’s stock club researched and invested in Pre-Paid Legal Services (PPD), but they didn’t really know much about the company. When it was her time to line up a guest speaker, she asked her sister-in-law, a member of Pre-Paid Legal Services, to come educate the club members.

Upon hearing the presentation, Tracey understood the implications of becoming a member. “It empowers other people not to be pushed around – not to be the little guy.”

After she had been a member of PPL for awhile, she asked about how to become an Independent Associate. “Tell me about the business because I’m telling everyone about it anyway.”

Almost four years later, half Tracey’s work time is spent enrolling others into various plans offered by PPL

“The will is the biggest reason people purchase PPL. In fact, seven out of 10 people in America do not have an up-to-date will. Getting wills is expensive and people don’t know who to go to. The will, living will, and medical power of attorney is free with the service.”

I checked on line and discovered the average cost for a will is $300 and an additional $100 POA (or Living Will). Pre-Paid Legal Services have monthly plans for as low at $25 a month or about $300 a year. So even if I don’t use another service, I’ll still come out ahead with my free will and POA. However, I’d be foolish not to avail myself of all the other services included. A basic package provides (but not limited to) unlimited phone calls to an attorney about personal or business legal issues, letters or phone calls from an attorney to a third party, unlimited contract and document review – (check out this website for even more monthly services for your fee).

Tracey personally knows of two people who enrolled in PPL and had their wills written. In both cases, the clients died unexpectedly or quickly. “It gives me a little peace knowing I played a small part in making things easier for those left behind.”

Another service of PPL is 24-hour access to an attorney. Last year one of her clients was driving home after 11 p.m. when struck by a motorcyclist. He immediately called the attorney, who talked him through what he needed to do and not do at the scene of the accident. A week later the motorcyclist died; however, her client is not stressed about his part in the legal process. He’s confident in the attorneys who talked him through that night.

Members of PPL don’t only have major legal issues. Sometimes it’s the little things that add up. Tracey shared how her dry cleaner lost her favorite pair of suit pants. A call to the attorney informed her that she was within her rights to request payment for a complete new suit—not just half– since she no long had a full suit. Another client took a lease for an auto to a PPL attorney to review. The attorney crossed out $1,500 worth of fees in the contract before advising the client to sign it.

“There are attorneys all around us. Even if you aren’t dealing with an attorney, the businesses you deal with have their own attorneys.” “Some people say to me ‘I don’t use attorneys’ but if you have ever signed a contract, you have used attorneys. But it’s the other party’s attorney that you used!”

To find out more about the services for Pre-Paid Legal contact Tracey Eno at 443-624-8022 or go to www.traceyeno.com

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