It happened to me today. I was responsible for getting Brianna to before care at 6:30am this morning, and caught the 7am train with Sophia. I dropped her off with Grandpa in Palatine without a problem. My morning so far was going well. Then I went into the train station to wait for the next train and it was canceled due to man power issues, so I would have to wait for the next one (which also meant the next train would be packed). I love being a commuter! Then the police showed up looking for someone and something. I wondered if I was safer inside or outside since something was obviously going on. I decided since they already checked the inside, I would stay there. Finally get on my train, take it to the last stop before the city and there is a medical emergency and an ambulance has to be called, delaying the train. I am not sure what happened and can only hope the man is ok. What are the odds that this would all happing within an hour?

So I had to ask myself, are there signs being put before me that I should be paying attention to? I can’t believe all this happened because of something I personally should be watching for (a bigger picture of something else to come). Regardless I decided maybe I needed to be aware and a little more cautious today and to realize nothing was going to go my way. I was right in some ways; I got absolutely nothing I wanted to get done today done. But I have been paying more attention to the things around me.

On the upside, my husband has also started a home business and we seem to be getting on board with each other’s business. We would both love to work from home some day. Now we are aligning our business plans and vision boards the same. There is a lot of motivation to change the way we work. To free ourselves from working for others so we can create our teams and work with others.

So this month I hope we can take a big step forward and create a family vision board.

This is just another one of those crazy days in my life! Can you relate to ANY of this? Tired of working in the corporate world? Concerned about your health and your families? Want to have more time to spending doing what you want to do? Let’s chat – contact me at patti@actionadvocates.com or leave a comment.

You are invited to our next event, which is focused on our health.

Want to know why our team always has so much energy?

Want to know why we are successful at losing weight and keeping it off?

Want to know how we work from home by helping others feel great?

We don’t sell products on our team…we work together for a better lifestyle and that includes improved health & SMOOTHIES!

Sounds funny, huh?  Can smoothies really make a big difference in how you feel AND how you work.  YES!

It’s ok if you have to see it to believe it…that’s why we’re hosting Smoothie Night!

When: Feb 3

Where: Shorewood, IL (email us for directions)

Time: 6:30-7:30

Bring: 1-2 fruits and/or veggies that you’d like to see us make into a powerful smoothie

Why: Because you deserve to feel great and our energy is contagious

Note: Kids are welcome.  Kids are never an excuse not to succeed in meeting  your goals!

Can’t make it?  Ask us when our next smoothie night is going to be OR better yet, host a smoothie night of your own.  You’ll even get free smoothies to try out during the week!

RSVP: Click the contact link above

That’s why I love working with Patti.  She’s a long time friend of mine who was always supportive of my work at home lifestyle, but never really saw herself as being part of the team.  Until recently…

She has jumped on board and is helping others, but these past few weeks has made a commitment to helping her family first!  I LOVE this!  We all need to do this sometimes!

See how she’s improving nutrition in her home…her success story is going to help so many, whether she means to or not…that’s the beauty of working on our team.  You don’t have to know all the answers before you begin.  You simply need to be willing to learn and to help others.

Are you in? (learn more about our team here)

Want to see what Patti did this past week? (see her menu changes for her busy, two parent working, home)

However, the people we LOVE to have join our team are people that we’ve already helped…such as Mike & Kristina Reid.

I just received this note from Mike and we are excited that, as a team, Mike and Kristina are ready to share their success with Shaklee.  Like me, they started with the products and now just can’t wait to share!

Dear Catherine & Action Advocates TEAM-
I’m currently laid-up after hernia surgery, but at the same time am SO JAZZED to get our Mission:Clean Kids/Shaklee business going!!

Kristina’s been using and promoting the products for a while now. Of course, as Classroom Assistant to the Whitcher girls at Joliet Montessori School, she’s witnessed the lows and highs of Johanna’s medical crisis. As a running addict and healthy lifestyle maniac, she’s hooked on the probiotics, Vita-Lea multi-vitamins, Performance drink mix, and Energizing Soy Protein.

Personally, I’ve been involved in and introduced to many multi-level marketing opportunities, and look forward to the business aspects of this. Even more personal, I was diagnosed with adult onset ADD and take Adderall. When I was between jobs/health insurance, making the Adderall unaffordable, I tried the Mental Accuity product which has been beneficial.

Kristina was just on the phone with her brother talking about Shaklee benefits for our nephews. We’re excited to get the message out and grow the M:CK/Shaklee Team!!
-Mike & Kristina Reid

Welcome to our team Mike & Kristina!

If you want to learn more about what our team REALLY does, how we work, how much we work and how we don’t fit the model of other work at home businesses, just ask and we can send you more information.  EMAIL

“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” – Walt Disney

Nothing like getting a little inspiration from Disney to keep our team going during the holiday season!

Our team members are all working towards the same goals.

• Taking Control of Your Health
• Taking Control of Your Finances

We all have different approaches.  We brainstorm.  We collaborate. We challenge.  We defend. We make progress. We share. We succeed.

As we get ready for 2012, we are excited for more members to join our team.  Those who want to all work together for the same goal.  Those who want to help themselves, their community and even be part of our corporate partner’s goal of having a worldwide impact.

It’s time to get out of our comfort zone.  Put our goals in plain sight and WORK TOGETHER!

If you’re ready to be part of a two way interview (you evaluate us and we chat with you to see if we’re a good fit for working together), now is the time.

Did you know that many of the most successful people in our 55 year history joined the partnership in the holiday season?  It’s the inspiration of the new year and new hope that brings more open minds to listen on how you are ready to change your life and why you want to take others along on this ride with you.

To schedule your two-way interview: Call (815) 302-1273 and ask for Catherine or email

Working 2 jobs, is the commute really that bad, is work?

My morning so far  . . .

Sophia wants to wear her Pajamas to school today because she thinks it is a nice dress, so I say no, dad says no, Brianna says no and I leave the house to get to the train while she is crying. I hate that.

Then I race to the train station and should have enough time to park, pay for parking and hop on the train. But wait, there is no parking! WHAT?! I quickly drive to the other lot, but the train gates are on their way down. No way will I make this train. Ugh!

Off to the next train station. Find parking but this is Metra owned and I don’t have a Metra pay card so I need cash. No singles are you kidding me! So I could pay $5 dollars to park today or pay on line and get an up charge. Either way I am paying more than $1.50.

So I make the next train and we are about ½ way to the city.

“Downed power-line folks, sorry we may be sitting here a while 3 trains backed up ahead of us and no one is moving.”

In an emergency I can work from home, so I think quickly  and call my husband, maybe he can come and get me. No answer. Text my girlfriend, maybe she can come and get me. She responds and then they announce the train will be moving again. So I decided to stay. We move out of the station, barely, and we stop again for a few minutes. I am guessing to wait on the other trains. So I am going to get to work late, and will be getting home late, because my normal train does not stop at the train station where my car is parked today. I can only hope I remember that I have to get on a different train tonight! It is  50/50 on whether I will remember.

Really I can’t make this stuff up! Two summers ago, I was stranded on the train due to 2 suicides within a month from each other. Depressing, but thankfully it was not my train that hit either of the people. I am not sure I could have sat on the train for 4 hours knowing we just killed someone. And this fall we hit a deer and broke the train. We had to be pushed into the city by another train.

I need to get back to the burbs.

It has been 4 months since I really started this crazy ride of trying to work 40 hrs and run a home business; plus be a mom, wife, and friend. I am still struggling to find my way thru the crazy mess without losing myself in the process. It all takes time, which is a limited commodity in our house hold. But I do see a workable trend forming, a way I may be able to balance everything I have going on.

September – Grand Opening
October – A Coffee Talk
November – Craft Fair
December – Beautiful You; Inside and Out holiday shopping

1 event per month organized by me, I think I can handle that, I have so far. Then follow up with leads the rest of the month. Quick phone calls to set up some one on one appointment that take no more than 1hr. I can handle this.

My house is still relatively clean.  We still need to work or re-organizing some space, but that will cost us a few dollars, and also a limited commodity in our house. So we will wait until I can get Shaklee to pay for my home reorganization.

In December I am hoping to bring on my first business builder and she also works 40hrs per week and has a young son. She asked how I find the time and energy. I like what I am doing and that is key. I work Shaklee because I like it.

Maybe I need to find a business leader who will clean my house while I follow up on their leads . . .hmmmmm . . . trading services is not a bad idea. Catherine and I have done that, I was helping her get out newsletters and little admin stuff while she has helped me build my business. She brought the whole display for the craft fair! So we all help each other out.

Sorry, back to the topic at hand, how do I do what I do and not get lost in the process. I told her the truth, that I am still figuring it out. Catherine Whitcher is my up line and a stay at home mom running Shaklee full time. She can tell me what works for her, but it doesn’t work for me. I can’t just jump in the car at 11am and run to Naperville to do a consult. Of course I can ask Catherine to do it if I really need her to, but it is my business and I need to figure it out. So my new business builder and I will be stumbling, learning and succeeding together. We will learn from our failures and have patients waiting on our successes. Some people are not ready to drop everything and come running to Shaklee, there is a much a financial obligation as there is a personal obligation. I have been waiting for my new business builder to sign up for 2 months. And my waiting has paid off.

I need to set December goals, so far I have failed at every goal I have set, but I am not discouraged. I am still learning and have no idea what realistic goals are for me to set. I am on the 5 year plan, and if I happen to get a fast track bonus along the way, yay me! I think my goal will be to get 100pv (an average product order) set on autoship this month (not including my new business builder). It is a small goal nothing to stress me during the holiday season.

Can you relate to ANY of this? Have you left your kids crying?  Could really use some improved health (maybe free products)? Need more time in your day?  Need more time with your kids?  Need less of a commute? Let’s chat -  contact me at patti@actionadvocates.com or leave a comment.

P.S. I mentioned I’m on the 5 year plan.  Yes, our team actually has a 5 year plan to help people just like me (and you?) get where we want to be (need to be!) in 5 years of less.  It’s one of my favorite things to show people who are confused on why I do what I do or want to know if they really can make change.  Need to see the plan?  Just ask

Wake up, it is the Grand Opening day, you just have a few more things to do!
As I am lying in bed Sunday morning, the house is quiet, the girls are still sleeping, husband is already at work, perfect time to get up and do those few last minute things.
Too late, I have company, two girls sneaking into my room and into my bed to snuggle with all their books, pillows, blankets and animals. Some mornings I think they need to make up a travel bag to haul their stuff the short distance to our room. But I LOVE early morning snuggle time. Everyone is quite and we lay there and talk about the day. So we talk . . .

“It is grand opening day, people are coming over and I need you two to be really good for the 1 hour everyone is here. I also need you to help with the few last minute cleaning chores” I tell them.

Brianna asks “Are we going to Mexico?” “We are going to try” I reply.
To Brianna, Shaklee is all about the free trip. I haven’t told her of my plans to work closer to home or maybe even get to be a stay at home mom. It is a 2 year goal and 2 years is a long time for a kid to wait so I figure it is best to keep her in the loop of the short term goals, which is a little extra money (to pay off bills, not buy toys) and a trip to Mexico.

They both have questions about Mexico.

Do they have spiders? How about killer ants? I think I am afraid of the Jungle, or is it in the desert? Can you swim in the ocean?

I answer their questions and satisfy them with I promise the resort is fabulous, and nothing there will scare them. It will only be fun, fun and more fun!
I kick them out of bed and we are off!

Saturday, both girls (after being told it was cleaner) took their bottles of H2 and cleaned all the windows in the house. I found out Sunday, Brianna drank some of it thinking it was water.
Find a happy place, she is ok, you would have noticed something by now. And Shaklee is all natural, no toxic chemicals swimming in her system. It was the window cleaner, very diluted.
Score 1 for Shaklee! 0 for Brianna!

To be on the safe side I have them wash the stairs with their window cleaner bottles and rag, nothing stronger then that. Although after our talk, I am pretty sure Brianna will NEVER drink from a spray bottle again or at least without asking me first.

It is about 10:30 and things are almost done, girls are watching a movie I am going to go take a shower and it happens.

Are you kidding me, today of all days? An Optical migraine! Come on!

This is just a warning. The real thing is coming and it is going to be a bad one. I get them, they are allergy and seasonal related. Spring and fall every year. But they have been a lot less frequent. Which I say is because of Vivix, but I have stopped taking Vivix because money is tight and I am cutting costs. I promised my husband I would not buy it until I could pay for it out of Shaklee money.

Want to know what really got me thinking of business building with Shaklee? It was giving up Vivix. I ache everywhere, I am tired, don’t sleep as well and am unfocused. Add some more complaining and whining . . . I LOVE my Vivix, but I promised and I will make the money to buy it again!

Back to my day that is quickly going down hill . . .
So I tell the girls I am getting one of those headaches, be good, let Aunt Catherine in (she is coming early for the Grand Opening to help set up) when she comes, I need to take a nap. Nothing works better than a nap for me. I take a few pills just in case (my standard migraine meds). When I wake up a little later I feel the drugs in my system but not much has changed. By the time I shower, Catherine has shown up.

If you have ever had a migraine you know how it messes with your speech and thoughts, everything gets jumbled, even if you are not in extreme pain, the process is broken. So I “tell” her, through some jumble form of talking what is going on and she takes over. Puts the kids into action, gets those last minute (snacks on the table, etc. things done) and hands me a Vivix.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Vivix is my solution of choice.

20 minutes later my thoughts are coming back to me the optical part of the migraine is gone and I never got the full blown migraine. It was amazing. I know it was the Vivix that pushed me the last of the way thru it.

The Grand Opening goes off without a hitch. I have three people (all of which I knew were coming). And to be honest it was the perfect combination.

On person already has some Shaklee products, one person wants to try them, and the last person is not interested.

Not interested, how is that the perfect combination of people.
My not interested person, I already knew was not interested. But I wanted a body at the party (a comfort thing to know people would be there) and I wanted to check her off my list of people to present to. You know there are people in your life who are simply not interested or not ready. It is not about getting people to buy the business or product; it is about giving them a choice. I gave her a choice and she said no thank you. Ok. She knows where to find me, and she knows I will poke at her occasionally (you should really try shaklee, just have to tell you about the latest and greatest). And in the end she said she would give people my name if she say opportunity, but she does not want to be involved in the business.. You really can’t ask for more than that. All I ask if for people to listen, to give them a choice.

So at the end of the day 1 new sponsor and 1 preson who has Shaklee knowledge and can send referrals. And I hope by the end of the week, I have one business builder!

And for Brianna . . . I am a few more points closer to Mexico.

Want to hear more about how you can earn free trips, contact me at pfialek30@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Psssst….I know I mentioned a lot of Shaklee products & solutions…H2, Vivix, trips to Mexico.  If you’re really curious, you can find out more here.

Our team rocks! I almost have to pinch myself everyday of how awesome the support is that we give each other.  We don’t push each other to sell.  We don’t hound our customers.  We don’t focus numbers, numbers, numbers.

So what do we focus on?  Helping each other help more people!

So this summer I was chatting with one of our team leaders, Karen H.  We were rooming together at Shaklee’s Global conference and we committed to Trading TV for PV. (PV is a tracking system with our corporate partner, Shaklee.)

Yes, PV is about tracking numbers, but it’s also about helping people.  The more PV we have the more people we have helped improve their health and lifestyle. So that was our agreed upon slogan.  Trade TV for PV.

Since that time, Karen and I have actually canceled our cable.  We watch the shows we want through HULU and Netflix, but more importantly, we aren’t channel flipping and getting absorbed in the zone of tv land!

So this month our team PV has increased and tv time has decreased.  We have gotten out of our comfort zone, helped more people, and we can see, in plain black & white, that our team is making difference.

Imagine loving your job and coworkers so much that you would give up your favorite show just to work together to help others feel better or to help non-profits raise funds….what you can’t imagine that?

Our team is currently looking for new leaders. Maybe it’s time we talk.

I am having the melt down, will anybody come to the Grand Opening ? (I’m a new leader with Mission: Clean Kids and my Grand Opening is to let my friends & family know that I joined this awesome team & mission!) Will this be a bust and I will lose before it even began?
Ahh, I hate not knowing.
What if I am cleaning and taking back my house for nothing!
Then I came back to reality –
Life is a bunch of lessons strung together to teach us something if we are willing to learn. I am learning:
• to reach outside my comfort zone
• to really think about the future
• to figure out how to get what I want
Brianna (my 2nd grader) told me just this morning that she wants to go to Tokyo. I don’t know why, but she wants to go, and I want us all to go. Why not? I want a future that lets Tokyo become a possibility!
And cleaning my house for nothing? Both my mom & MIL would yell at me for that thought. We bought a house and moved in, but we never really made it a home. Now that the kids are a little older and a little more self-sufficient I want to make it a home. Something I am proud to have people come over and see. I don’t need high end anything; I just want the house to have a pulled together feel. And that is why I clean, pack away, and throw out our stuff
So even if I don’t have a single person come to my door, I know that I have learned a few new lessons.

I have two very different kids. Sophia will take her vitamins and ask for more. Brianna will look at them, smell them, lick them and then tell me they are not the gummy kind so she doesn’t like them. The gummy kind are more candy then vitamin, I don’t like the gummy kind.
So I thought Shaklee Incredivites, Catherine’s kids will take them, they must be ok. Sophia took one and wanted more. Brianna . . . 1 sniff and 2 licks later “Do I have too, why can’t I have the gummy kind!”
I crushed them in tea, blended them in yogurt, put them in juice. It didn’t work!
Time to try something else. I ordered Shaklee Citriboost, maybe something that is meant to be mixed would work. I tried it in water, not to bad, but the color was a milky white. I know my kid, she would not do it. So I gave it to her in apple juice, she tried and drank about ½. There was no gagging, but I know the next time would be a fight. I racked my brains for what to mix it in, and then it hit me . . .
Crunchy Peanut butter
Crazy right? Not really. Peanut butter has been my savior. Defend and Resist (cold prevention), crushed in Peanut butter. Nutriferon (Immune system booster), crushed in peanut butter. Citriboost & Increditvites, mixed right into peanut butter (not together). I made to spoons and had her taste each. She was fine with both.
Peanut butter is a strong flavor so it hides the taste of everything else, and it you use crunchy it hides the texture too!

So I can officially say 

I WON the vitamin war!

Note: Clicking on any of the links in this post brings you right to the same place where I buy my nutrition support for my family, BUT I would highly suggest calling Catherine (815) 302-1273 or dropping her an email to make sure she puts together the best pricing for you. The great part is that if you try anything from Shaklee and your child hates it….just send it back! No questions asked